Only For You
by Claerwen
Summary: When Demetri saw Bella and Edward, he was confused. But years later, he finds himself following their footsteps, doubting his pledge to the Volturi. A girl wanders into Volterra, stumbling upon the Volturi.Will she help them against the Cullens?Demetri/OC
1. I Belong to You

_When these pillars get pulled down,  
It will be you who wears the crown,  
And I'll owe everything to you_

_How much pain has cracked your soul?  
How much love would make you whole?_

_You're my guiding lightning strike_

_I can't find the words to say,  
But they're overdue,  
I've traveled half the world to say,  
I belong to you_

**Disclaimer: Yeah, I stupidly forgot to put this is in earlier *facepalm*. That's what I get for redoing the story. There are references to the series _Blue Bloods _in this story (read that series -- it's better than Twilight!) which I, pathetically, forgot to credit rightly to Melissa de La Cruz until a reader pointed that out! IM SORRY!**

**Oh, but this isn't a crossover. The references are totally harmless; I just used names from that story (cause they sounded nice).**

**that asides, enjoy reading 3**

_Thursday, June 3rd, 11:09pm_

I remember when I was a child. I remember imagining my future, seeing it like it was a reflection in a mirror.

I had always known what to do with my life.

Now, I didn't know what I was doing. Where I was going.

There was blank space in my mirror where my life went awry, where I decided to do something else with my life. But I didn't know how it happened. I couldn't remember. I can't remember anything from the past three years. Vague memories depicted solemn dinners with my father, eating Chinese takeout on Thanksgiving, endless studying, mindless evening with my friends where I had little to contribute to conversation. And before that --before these three years-- I remembered my old dreams.

I wanted to be a graphic artist; newly accepted into Stanford University. I had everything under my belt, nothing fearful to anticipate except for medical school applications. I was excited; spending my next four years in California was the epitome of happiness. The only sad thing in my life: my twin brother, Rehan, was going to stay across the country: he was going to Yale.

I am a Chemistry major with a minor in Latin. For the past three years, I had used every excuse I could to get out of Palo Alto, CA. I had been studying abroad in the UK for my entire junior year. Now, I was doing chemistry research in Cecina, Italy. My social life was limited to my one best friend and her boyfriend. I hadn't seen my brother in three years. He was dead.

So much had changed in the past three years. And what had I _done _in the past three years? Why was I remembering everything now?

I felt awake like I had never been before in my life. Awake for the first time in three years. But Rehan was still dead. What happened?

I shut my eyes, and drifted to sleep, blocking my thoughts out, as I always have.

_Then she attacks me like a Leo,  
When my heart is split like Rio,  
But, I assure you my debts are real_

_I can't find the words to say,  
When I'm confused,  
I've traveled half the world to say,  
You are my mu_

_Thursday, June 3rd, 10:12pm_

"_Molto grazie,_ Vittoria," the thickly accented voice of my Italian professor thanked me as I finished labeling the last test tube. Professor Ricci was probably mistaking my long hours of research work with him as avid interest rather than the lack of a social life I really had. I hoped he didn't think I was too enthusiastic about this; the fourteen hours I spent in the lab today were calming, but pleasantly stressful.

"No problem," I replied in fluid Italian. The four years of Italian I had taken in high school were certainly paying off this summer. As I scribbled a few last measurements onto my lab book, my left hand groped the lab computer for the off button. The computer hummed to sleep, and I stuffed my things into my bag: pencil, lab book, graphing calculator.

"Have a safe drive back, Miss Vittoria," Professor Ricci walked over to his own corner of the lab. I felt bad; he had been here since 8 A.M. with me, since undergraduate students couldn't be without unauthorized personnel. My lonely professor probably had more of a life than I did.

"_Grazie,_" I said, nodding back at him as I shut the door of the lab behind me. My feet tapped against the tiled floor of the Universita' Populare's Chemistry Building as I made my way down to the ground floor. The hallways were dark, and I jogged down the stairs. I shouldn't have stayed at the lab this late; it was dark outside, and the nearest parking lot was a five minute walk. College campuses in Italy were about as safe as downtown Roma.

But as I made my way through the winding sidewalks of the university, the pale moon shone on my face, on the trees, on the ground. My head drew upward and I stopped to look up. It was a beautiful night. The chilly wind permeated my sweater, blowing my black hair into my eyes. It was refreshing. I shut my eyes; cold weather and cloudless nights made me nostalgic of summers with my brother in New Jersey. I resumed walking, shaking my head and keeping wary of my surroundings.

Absent minded as I walked, my hand slipped into my bag and my fingers slithered around, searching for the necessary things in paranoia. My iPod was there, my calculator...cell phone? Worried, I quickly ran my hand around my jeans pockets; no cell phone. Was it in my bag? My hand dove in there again, with no results. _Damn._ Did I forget it in the lab? I doubted Ricci would still be there...

_It has to be in my bag,_ I though worriedly. I ran to a bench on the side of the cobblestoned path. Desperately, I dumbed the contents of my bag onto the bench, sitting down next to it. I was making a hell of a noise, undoubtedly any pedophile in close proximity would know my presence. I had to check fast. I fingered each object as I slipped it back into my bag. My fingers wrapped around a familiar object I had overlooked: my cell phone. I took a breath of relief, and looked up, ready to stand back up and run to my car.

But somebody stood in front of me. My heart stopped; all body systems shut down. The first thought that registered in my head was that he probably thought I was pathetic by the way I gaped. That was the first and only thought, because the next second, he was gone. He was pale, his skin shining in the moonlight, with dark hair. His features were handsome, lean, and muscular: _beautiful_.

And he was oddly familiar.

Rehan?

My lungs capsized; my heart stood still for that split second of realization. And then he was gone.

I blinked my eyes, and there was nobody there. I was probably hallucinating again; I saw Rehan almost _everywhere_ now. My heart started to return to normal rate, my breathing restarting._Nobody is here. Nobody is here._ I told my self repetitively, trying to calm myself down. My legs shaking, I stood up slowly, glancing all around me for any sign of anybody.

And nobody was there.

Perhaps hallucination was a side effect of depression.

_(Ah! Rponds ma tendresse,  
Verse-moi, verse-moi l'ivresse,  
Rponds ma tendresse,  
Rponds ma tendresse,  
Ah! Verse-moi l'ivresse,  
Verse-moi, verse-moi l'ivresse,  
Rponds ma tendresse,  
Rponds ma tendresse,  
Ah! Verse-moi l'ivresse,  
I belong,  
I belong to you alone)_

_Thursday, June 3rd, 10:23pm_

"I got three," Felix grinned at Demetri. Demetri continued walking over to Felix, looking defeated.

"Two," he said, the corner of his lip twitching down. Felix laughed in victory.

"I wasn't especially thirsty," Demetri said quickly, pursing his lips and looking to the moon. The moonlight glittered on his pale, exposed skin. Felix got up off the bench.

"Is something up?" Felix asked. Demetri shook his head.

"No," Demetri shook his head, swallowing his venom and looked up at the moon. Strange impacts humans had on vampires. Sometimes it seemed as if vampires were dependent on humans, as if humans had the _real _power over vampires.

Why hadn't he killed the girl and won his bet with Felix? She looked strangely familiar, even though her scent was totally new.

_Use,  
I can't find the words to say,  
But they're overdue,  
I've traveled half the world to say,  
I belong to you_

**I Belong To You / Mon Coeur S'Ouvre A Ta Voix **by **Muse**

**i know this is confusing. books are generally confusing. wait and see what happens.**


	2. Wine Red

_Who shot that arrow in your throat?  
Who missed the crimson apple?  
It hung heavy on the tree above your head_

_This chaos, this calamity, this garden once was perfect  
Give your immortality to me; I'll set you up against the stars_

_Saturday, June 5th, 10:34am_

_"Buongiorno_, welcome to Volterra!" The woman in the drive-by information booth greeted me as I drove up to it. _"Come sta?"_

"Fine, thank you," I said.

"I'm sorry, _signorina, _but you're going to have to park your over here," she said in thickly accented English, pointing to a parking garage a block away. "We do not allow cars into the city.

The streets past this point are too narrow for public transport."

_"Grazie," _I nodded, eying the brochure of an art festival on the window of her booth. She caught me eying it.

"Would you like one of our travel guides,_ signorina?"_

_"Si," _I said, and she handed me one.

"Have a nice day! Enjoy your stay at Volterra!" She said to me as I reversed my car and drove away.

What was I doing in Volterra? That's a bit of a very long story. Firstly, there was an art festival here that I really wanted to see. Secondly, I wanted to see if I could find any information on my grandfather.

My grandfather.

I have never met my grandfather, but I knew he is alive. He used to send my dad letters sometimes; once when we were born to name us, and change our last names to our mother's last name -- Marchese. Then later to ask my dad to move my comatose mother to another hospital, and then another letter requesting the same thing again a year later. I remember, when I was a little girl, grandfather once asked Rehan and I to send him letters back. We did; we sent him dozens as we were children, but then we realized we weren't getting any replies. Dad told us that grandfather was a busy man, and he must move around a lot. So, he didn't have time to reply.

But then why did he ask for them? When Rehan and I grew a little older, we realized that grandfather couldn't have moved around a lot; he was a professor in Italy at the Universita' Populare. He was the only family, apart from dad and my comatose mother, that Rehan and I had. This realization upset the two of us; that moment we realized that not all family members care for you. We never spoke of our grandfather again. I thought about him, and wondered about him; I know Rehan did too.

I know Rehan did because the week before he died, he visited Italy. That's why I was here in Italy three years later, doing chemistry research at the Universita Populare. I wanted to meet my grandfather, I wanted to know what made my brother commit suicide.

When I arrived at the Universita' Populare, I found out that Lawrence Marchese had stopped working there forty years ago. Then why had he told my dad he still worked there? From what I had garnered from several old professors at the university, my grandfather had quit to live a quiet life in Volterra. He quit to have a quiet life when he was 32 years old.

It didn't make sense at all. I didn't _want _to meet my grandfather, the man who'd lied to us, but I wanted to know why Rehan died.

Why was searching for my grandfather _three years _after Rehan had passed away? I had no idea. It was as if the past three years were a blur. Like I had died with my twin brother, and now I was coming back alive.

For some reason, searching for Lawrence seemed to be the right thing to do right now.

I parked my car, and headed to the art festival.

_The sea is wine red  
This is the death of beauty  
The doves have died  
The lovers have lied_

_I cut the arrow from your neck  
Stretched you beneath the tree  
Among the roots and baby's breath  
I covered us with silver leaves_

_Friday, June 4th, 1:06am_

"Aro," Demetri bent his head down to the masters as he walked past them. Aro took a step towards him.

"Demetri!" Aro said in his sing-song voice, taking a step towards him. "How was your hunt?"

Aro held his hand out towards Demetri.

"Mediocre," Demetri shrugged, and continued to walk past, ignoring Aro's hand and keeping his thoughts to himself.

Aro's eyes flashed curiously at his most famed guard's receding back.

_Gloria,  
We lied, we can't go on  
This is the time and this is the place to be alive_

_The sea is wine red (Gloria, we lied)  
This is the death of beauty (this is the time and place)_

_Saturday, June 5th, 7:13pm_

_"Scusi signor!"_ I asked the millionth cashier at the millionth store I had been to that day. The cashier looked down at me, annoyed that I had nothing in my hands to buy. I shot him an apologetic look but cleared my throat. "Sorry, but have you heard of a Lawrence Marchese?"

The cashier looked at me curiously, then shook his head. _Damn._

"_Grazi!"_ I said smiling, and I turned around to run out before he could guilt me into buying anything. After tiring of the art festival after two hoursI had tried almost every shop and business in Volterra, asking for my grandfather. But no one had heard of him. Was this possible? I was _pretty sure_ that the professors at Universita' Populare had told me that he was in Volterra. And there was no other Volterra in Italy, or in the world at all.

There was one more business office on this street.

I opened the door, ignoring the tinkle of the bell, and walked over to the finely dressed receptionist. She made me feel self-conscious of my band T-shirt and jeans.

"_Scusi," _I said, and she lifted a eye with heavy blue eyeshadow to look at me. "Have you heard of a Lawrence Marchese?" She shook her head. Damn again. "Okay, thank you!" I ran out of the office. I walked over to a bench and took out my map, crossing off this street. 53 streets, hundreds of places I had asked, but no one had heard of Lawrence Marchese. Had he changed his name?

Did he not _exist?_

I took my water bottle out of my bag and took a long sip, thirsty from running around all of Volterra. I hadn't had time to admire the city yet, and I still needed to reserve a hotel room since I planned to spend the weekend here. I sighed, and started to walk with the crowds of clamoring tourists, turning my head to now admire the beautiful architecture. What was I going to do? I had asked for Lawrence _everywhere._

_But_, I hadn't asked the church, I realized, as I watched a row of men with bent heads and capes enter a church. _Any of the churches in Volterra,_ I realized, as I heard a church bell chime. I got up, stuffing my map into my bag, and ran to the sound of the bells that come from a street behind this one.

The church was ancient; its stained glass windows were faded, and the door was peeling. I opened the door, and walked past the empty pews to the man praying in the corner. The priest? He was an elderly man, with white hair. He was immersed in prayers, and didn't even hear me come in.

_"Scusi,_" I whispered, when I got up to him. My mouth was almost dry from talking to so many people today. The man looked up at me, not at all bothered to be interrupted in his prayers. Yet, I still felt guilty. "Sorry," I muttered in Italian.

"Not a problem, child," the man stood up, speaking in Italian. He folded arms and looked kindly up at me.

"I was just wondering...have you heaRd of a Lawrence Marchese?" I asked in Italian, still whispering. The man shook his head, but smiled. I bated my breath, he seemed like he had something to say. Hopefully he wasn't going to try to preach to me.

"Is he your relative?" The priest asked. I nodded.

"My grandfather," I said. The priest turned to look at the front doors of the church.

"I remember every person who has walked into these doors and spoken to me," the priest said, "I have had several Marcheses, but no Lawrence Marchese." He paused. I looked around the church, hoping he wasn't expecting me to stay and pray. Dad had raised me agnostic. I tried to admire the glass windows, and the priest cleared his throat, interrupting my train of thought. "Perhaps you are related to a woman named Allegra?" I looked at him. Allegra is my comatose mother's name. How did he know?

"_Si,_ that was my mother," I said slowly, cautiously. Was he psychic? Supernatural? My eyes flickered around the room; there was no one else here.

"She was here." the man shut his eyes. "Twenty years ago. You look like her. You and your brother do."

"My brother?" I thought aloud, both frightened and shocked. Rehan? Had Rehan been here?

"Yes, he came tracing your mother's path. Three years ago," the priest said. _Three years ago._ My face was stiff. He noticed, "You don't like your brother?"

"No," I said, looking down on the floor. The hairs on my back were raised; I felt the need to leave. I didn't feel comfortable. Not because of the man, but the mention of Rehan. And my mother. I hadn't thought about them in a while. "I do. I loved him."

"What happened?" The priest asked. "You say _loved._"

"Yes," I said. "He committed suicide a month after visiting Italy," I said quickly, not wanting to linger on those words. The priest looked down on the floor.

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely, grasping my hand.

"Would you-," my voice broke. "Would you happen to know anything that could have caused him to...to-..." my voice trailed off. How long did he talk to Rehan? What did they talk about?

"No," the priest said after a moment's silence. He looked calmly to the floor, almost as if he was hiding uneasiness. Why would he be uneasy? He was a priest, he dealt with helping people grieve over lost loved ones. "Nothing."

"What did he do when you saw him?" I asked.

"He came to visit me, and asked about your mother," he said. "I told him about the day your mother came, asking me for advice. She had a trivial problem; she wanted to know if it was right for her to have children." He seemed reluctant to talk about Rehan, and I wasn't going to force him. I couldn't hear about him.

"Oh," I said. My mother had had a history of health problems; that was why she was comatose.

"Is she still comatose?" the priest asked. I nodded, and I looked around the church. My brother had been here. My mother had been here. They had been in this small, white-washed, enclosed space. I needed air. The priest put a hand on my shoulder.

"God bless you child," the priest said. I looked at him, and thanked him silently, and then resumed glancing around the room. The priest cleared his throat, "You would do best to get out of Volterra." I looked at him, surprised.

"Why?" I asked. The priest's eyes flickered. "Volterra has the lowest crime rate," I said, surprised. "The city is overruled by a group of people who aren't what they seem," he said almost angrily. His eyebrows were knotted in fury. I was surprised; what was it about them that made a _priest _upset? "You would do best to leave. Your mother and brother both did."

_The doves have died (Gloria, we lied)  
The lovers have lied (this is the time and place)_

**Wine Red** by **The Hush Sound**

In case you were wondering…yes, the priest does know about the Volturi.


	3. Secrets

_I need another story  
Something to get off my chest  
My life gets kinda boring  
Need something that I can confess  
Til' all my sleeves are stained red_

_From all the truth that I've said  
Come by it honestly I swear  
Thought you saw wink, no  
I've been on the brink, so_

_Saturday, June 5th, 7:27pm_

The sweet venom in his mouth was bitter. Demetri wiped the blood from his mouth, dropping the body of his victim onto the alley floor. He was 150 miles away from Volterra. He would be at the Palazzo dei Priori in under five minutes.

This was the eleventh time he had fed in the past two days. Recently, he had been feeling the need to feed, to sate his thirst.

The internal clock in his head struck 7:30, a microsecond before the clock tower chimed. 7:30; Demetri began to run. He'd be back to the Palazzo in two minutes. When he was away from Volterra, he was away from the emotional powers of Chelsea, from Aro's powerful gaze, Caius's glare, and the red, dull eyes of Marcus. He didn't try to hide that he sometimes he regretted joining the Volturi when he was away from Volterra; it wasn't like he was the only member of the guard who had this regret. Of course, everytime he stepped back into the city he called home, Chelsea's influence flowed over him again.

Freedom never lasted long. Demetri entered Volterra, the twinkling city lights sparkling on his pale skin. He slipped from inhuman speed into a slower, human pace. Demetri flipped the hood of his cape over his head, and slipped past the unnoticed tourists, unnoticeable. Magnificent pulls tied him to the 296 tourists on that street, and he remembered them all. He scanned their minds in his head, looking for an especially familiar and constant person nearby. Felix, Corin, Jane, and three other unnameable guard members were away in Spain. Alec was on patrol on the south side of the city. Heidi, Chelsea, Afton, and other unnameable, temporary guards were in Paris. Lawrence was at the art festival. Everyone else was in the Palazzo dei Priori.

No one else familiar...the human staff didn't matter, and he had not ties to any of Volterra's inhabitants, but...

_That girl._

Demetri turned his head. A raven haired girl with dark blue eyes was walking quickly past him. She looked in her late teens, but the worry lines on her face told him she was probably past

two years of college. Her pale skin and blue eyes were most definitely American. The T-shirt and jeans she wore gave her the appearance of someone relaxed and laid back, but her expression wasn't. The girl wasn't beautiful to him, but in an odd and innocent way, she would be slightly pretty to a human man.

He'd seen her two nights ago, at the Universita' Populare. What was she doing, now, in Volterra?

For a split second, Demetri was almost afraid that she had remembered him and was in Volterra searching for him. Then he realized, humans really weren't that smart, and she was human.

Pity he couldn't feed in Volterra; her scent clogged his nose, singling out from all the other 295 tourists.

_My god, amazing how we got this far  
It's like we're chasing all those stars  
Who's driving shiny big cars  
And everyday I see the news  
All the problems that we could solve  
And when a situation rises  
Just write it into an album_

_Singing straight, too cold  
I don't really like my flow, no, so_

_Saturday, June 5th, 12:01pm_

The art festival was pretty deserted, just like I hoped it would be. I spent 20 euro on the ticket, which was most of the cash I had with me. It was strange how they had the building set up. It was like a two story building, just without the four main outer walls. It had ceilings and pillars and the inner walls, and it was open and really airy. It was nice, staring at huge colorful paintings and enjoying the sweet Mediterranean breeze. The art they had displayed was splendid; there was even one Salvador Dali and so many more famous artists. I did keep an eye out for my grandfather's name anywhere in the excerpts of Art Analysis books, but it was nowhere to be found.

I walked up to the second floor and found out I wasn't alone. A young man, maybe in his 20s, was there too, scrutinizing some art. He was wearing a black sports jacket, sunglasses in the cloudy weather, and a red silk scarf around his neck. He turned and saw me and nodded in greeting. I smiled back and headed to a different section. I stared up at a long portrait of a woman, staring at the abnormally vibrant colors of her dress.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" I jumped slightly at the rich velvet voice that came somewhere behind me. The young man was standing right behind me, staring up at the same portrait. _I swear I didn't hear him coming._ He spoke clear English, with only a slight, almost emphasized, Italian accent.

"Very," I replied in English. "Even though still life portraits are generally not my interest."

He smiled. "To you and me both." He looked only about twenty-five, yet sounded so much older. Not as cocky as he appeared to be. He paused for a moment, still not facing me. I couldn't tell if he was looking at me or not because his sunglasses covered half his face. "You are from America?"

I nodded. _Was it that obvious? _He spoke again, "What brings you to Volterra?"

His voice was so charming. I felt comforted. "I'm looking for someone," I let out. He looked surprised.

"Ah, your lover?" he sounded almost thoughtful, still staring at the painting. I could tell he was interested, still waiting for my answer. I shook my head.

"A relative of mine," I answered, hesitant to say too much to this total stranger. His head sparked up in interest.

"Does he live here?" He sounded much more interested than he probably should be. I shrugged.

"I think so," I said, "I never met him," He was staring at me, his expression unreadable. It seemed like a mixture of shock and something else.

"I am sure you will find him, if he really lives here. Everyone comes out sooner or later. Perhaps you will find him at this art fair again." He looked up at the ceiling. He sounded so certain, as if he really knew Lawrence. "I wish you luck." He smiled, and before I could ask him anything he walked away. He left so fast it almost seemed like he was still there, hiding behind a painting.

I felt dazed. There was so much more to him, I knew it. _Or Victoria, his good looks are just overcoming you, _a voice in the back of my head told me_._ I hated my conscience. I really did. I continued on, looking at the colors on the canvases as they mixed and separated. My head began to swirl, even though physically I was still. Something about the twisting colors, so bright and vivid, brought tears down my face. I walked on slowly, gathering the same effect from each piece of art. I started to feel relieved with each tear, like some sort of pressure was slowly peeling away. I felt so stupid. I didn't realize, that if, by a miracle, I found Lawrence, he may not want to see me. _What will I do then?_ The tears kept falling, and I started shaking. Yet, inside I felt well. Like a painful splinter was almost out, and my tears were the pain of its removal. I remembered Rehan...first finding heroin in my dad's desk....and the tears kept falling. I started to walk around, staring at the different painting styles and crying.

After a while, I suddenly pulled myself together. I checked the time on my phone. 1 P.M. exactly. _Oh crap._ I looked around me. There were more people around me, appearing as if they had dropped from the sky. I surreptitiously looked around. The few people around me didn't seem to mind that I was crying. They were all deep in thought, their eyes glazed to the paintings. The man closest to me himself had tears falling down his face, as he stared at the portrait of a young lady that I had just looked at an hour before, with a certain young mysterious man.

Who _was _that man? I felt like I hadn't paid enough attention to him. He was almost a blur in my memory now. Funny how you meet people, but go separate ways minutes later, and never see each other ever again.

_Oh, got no reason, got not shame  
Got no family I can blame  
Just don't let me disappear  
I'mma tell you everything_

_So tell me what you want from here_

_Saturday, June 5th, 7:53pm_

"_Scusi,_" The girl hesitated in front of the cashier at a small gift shop. Demetri stood outside, his immaculate sense of sound hearing her conversation. She perched her weight on her left leg, and waited for the cashier to stop fiddling with the register and look up at her. She was biting her lip; why was she nervous?

"Have you heard of a Lawrence Marchese?" The girl asked. She'd undoubtedly asked the same question several times that day; her voice was tired, slightly cracking, and her eyebrows were furrowed with a hint of frustration.

She was looking for Lawrence; but why? It only confirmed Demetri's suspicions. The cashier looked up at her. Demetri craned his neck to inconspicuously stare at the two.

The cashier shook his head, and the girl's face fell. She muttered a thanks, and frowned, turning her back and heading out of the sparkly lit store. Demetri stepped back into the shadows as she came out.

She shut the door of the shop behind her and glanced around the streets. She didn't know where to go now. She looked towards the end of the street, where a man was playing the violin, and started to walk there. Demetri followed her, deciding to approach her.

"Hello," Demetri's polite, musical voice caused the girl's head to snap up. She looked up at Demetri, surprised and shocked, her eyes blinking. Her face went through the standard expression: shock at his perfect features, then her eyes softened, and then widened in shock again when she realized their color. Red. He shouldn't have fed today.

"Hello," she said almost shakily, nervously. Demetri smirked; she was easy, like all the other girls he'd met. She should be grateful; he didn't intend to kill her, like the other girls. He intended to bring her to Aro, who would probably kill her. Definitely, Demetri thought, she couldn't be Allegra's daughter. Lawrence had said that Allegra never had a daughter; just a son.

"What's your name?" Demetri bore his smoldering eyes into hers, and she looked bewildered, and almost stepped back.

But suddenly, she shook her head and straightened her self, staring back at him.

"Why's that important?" She said stubbornly, no longer succumbing to his charm. Demetri smiled; he'd have to try harder. Her blue eyes really were pretty; they were different, an uncommon navy blue, just like her brother's.

Demetri tried again, his charm pushing to the extent. He slipped a credit card out of his pocket in the inner lapel of his jacket.

"I'm just curious. You're not Gaia, are you?" Demetri pretended to glance at the credit card, which really had the name "Stefan Kasarov," one of his aliases, emblazoned on it. It wasn't like she could see it. He had to justify his reason for asking her name. "Because I found a credit card that belongs to Gaia Kasarov. It was over there," he pointed to a small shop she had just

come out from, "So I thought it could be yours."

The girl's eyes stared suspiciously at the card, almost as if she was trying to see if it really was Gaia Kasarov's card. Or maybe Demetri was just paranoid again.

"No," she said. "I'm not Gaia." Demetri slipped the card back into his pocket. The girl didn't look as if she was allured to him anymore; her right foot was turned, as if she was going to leave. He wasn't going to let her walk off.

"You have perfect English," he commented, smiling at her. She blinked, surprised at the compliment. Her faced tinged pink from the interested look on his face. Demetri was genuinely interested in her; he wanted to know why she looked like Allegra. "Are you from America?" He asked, before she could say anything. Of course, it wasn't like she _could _say anything; she was flustered by the compliment from a handsome stranger.

"Your English is perfect, too," she said, regaining herself and staring back at him. Demetri let his mouth curl into a frown for a nanosecond; she was being hard.

"I study languages," Demetri smiled, trying to fluster her again, so she'd be easier to convince to come with him to the Palazzo. He paused. Perhaps Lawrence and Rehan had lied, and Allegra _had_ a daughter. In that case, if she was Allegra's daughter, she would only be here for the same reason her brother had come: to find Lawrence. Demetri hesitated, "Are you looking for a Lawrence Marchese?"

The girl looked surprised, the pink tinge in her face fading away. Her mouth opened, then closed speechlessly. Demetri smiled in satisfaction; she was going through shock again, but she'd answer him. Of course she would.

And then, she surprised him.

"No, I'm sorry," she lied; Demetri heard her heartbeat rise with the lie. "I'm not."

_Something that were like those years  
Sick of all the insincere  
So I'm gonna give all my secrets away  
This time, don't need another perfect line  
Don't care if critics never jump in line  
I'm gonna give all my secrets away_

_All my secrets away, All my secrets away_

**Secrets **by **One Republic**


	4. Swim

_You've gotta swim  
Swim for your life  
Swim for the music  
That saves you  
When you're not so sure you'll survive_

_You gotta swim  
And swim when it hurts  
The whole world is watching  
You haven't come this far  
To fall off the earth  
The currents will pull you  
Away from your love_

_Just keep your head above_

_Saturday, June 5th, 7:55pm_

Demetri knotted his eyebrows; he was going to have to try even harder. She was lying, and infuriating him. He hated it when humans were difficult; didn't they know he would invetiably win anyway? He could hear her heart beating violently with the lie, and the shock on her face that meant she _knew _that he knew. Her lip trembled, and he instantly relaxed himself in order to make her feel more comfortable.

"Oh," he said pleasantly. "I just overheard that a woman who matched your description was looking for Lawrence Marchese," he said, completely guessing that she had been looking for him today. After all, she looked like Allegra, except for the hair and eye color. She _had _to be his granddaughter. And is she was, this was proof that Lawrence had lied to the Volturi -- Aro trusted Lawrence too much to search his memory thoroughly, and Lawrence was too special. If she wasn't related to the Marcheses at all --which he doubted-- then Aro would kill her.

If he managed to bring her to Aro and discover she _was _Allegra's daughter, then Aro would be pleased with him. Lawrence wouldn't be harshly punished because he was too valuable. If it was discovered that she had no relation to Allegra, she would be killed.

"Oh," she said finally, her eyes darting, glancing around. Demetri predicted her next move; she was going to make an excuse to walk away.

"I happen to know Lawrence," Demetri said, trying to gain her trust. He smirked as her eyes widened when she said his name. "And he doesn't mingle with the inhabitants of Volterra at all.

He lives a reticent life. And so, if he knew someone, especially a relative," Demetri smiled as the girl paled, "was looking for him, he would probably like to know. Because there's not many people who _would _look for him."

"Oh," she said. "Well," she paused, and Demetri waited for her to fess up her lie. She would make a pathetic excuse.

But she didn't.

"I'm sorry," she said, shifting weight on her feet. "I'm not looking for anyone."

Demetri stared at her in disbelief. Why was she lying to _him?_

_"_Sorry, but I gotta go," the girl said, her pink lips tinging red in the slightly cold weather of the Italian night. Demetri jolted back to reality; he had stared at her in disbelief for too long, and she was going to leave now. So, he ignored her.

"What brings you to Volterra?" Demetri asked softly, smoldering her with his eyes. She blinked and looked down at the floor. "Are you _really _sure you're not looking for Lawrence? He would be happy, you know, if you were."

She looked up at him, and buckled; Demetri smirked successfully. His eyes stared down into her dark blue eyes, and they widened.

"I...," her mouth opened speechlessly, and she gaped at him hopelessly. "I am," she said, sounding embarrassed and flustered. "I really am...looking for..."

"I thought so," Demetri said, smiling that he now had her twisted around his finger. He held out his hand toward her. "Come. My name is Demetri," he said, his warm red eyes gorging into hers.

After all, she was only _human._

_I found a tidal wave  
Begging to tear down the dawn  
Memories like bullets  
They fired at me from a gun  
A crack in the armor_

_I swim to brighter days  
Despite the absence of sun  
Choking on salt water  
I'm not giving in  
I swim_

_Saturday, June 5th, 8:09pm_

Wait.

What was I _doing_?

My eyes blinked, and suddenly my surroundings seemed to materialize, as if I had been seeing them through a puddle of water before.

Where _was _I?

Fear shot up my spine, shaking it violently, and I felt the same feeling as I had felt two nights ago. The feeling of waking up from death. But I had never died.

What _had _happened?

I ran hands over my head, my hair, and shut my eyes, slowly taking in my surroundings layer by layer. I was sitting on an expensive leather arm chair. I was in what looked like a lobby. There was a woman in this lobby; a pretty, Italian woman with black hair, tan skin, and green eyes: the typical beautiful Italian. Black hair, tan skin, and green eyes to Italians are what blonde hair, pale skin, and blue eyes were to Americans a century ago. She was the Italian version of a cookie cutter blonde.

How did I get to this lobby?

I had followed a handsome stranger, who somehow knows my grandfather, here. I had followed a _total _stranger, and let him lure me here. What the _hell _had I been thinking? Had I even _been _thinking?

Where was this stranger? Where did he go? I didn't even know his name; he didn't know mine. What had prompted me to follow him?

Oh, right. His beauty. He was _beautiful, _and without a doubt the most handsome man I'd ever seen, I admitted regretfully to myself. I didn't like handsome or beautiful people; I didn't like to judge by appearances. From my experience, beautiful people were conceited, shallow, and without morals.

And the stranger _had _been cocky. I blushed, remembering the way he looked at me. I felt weak that I succumbed to him; I was so ordinary.

But right now...I couldn't think about him. I had to get out of here. My pale hands trembled, but they grasped the edge of the sofa and I pulled myself up, teetering on my sneaker-clad feet. This entire lobby made me feel out of place; the fancy wallpaper, sofas, and even the woman behind the desk were evidently superior to my shabby appearance of a T-shirt, jeans, and black hair in a ponytail. The woman behind the desk looked up at me as I stood up, and I glanced away, heading for the door.

"Excuse me, miss, but-" the woman began, but I paid no attention to her, walking towards the door. She raised her hand, as if to somehow stop me, but she was still behind her desk. I got to the door, and pulled it open with my trembling hands, and-

I gasped.

"What are you doing?" A man stood in the doorway before me. Or was he a man...he seemed rather young. He, like the man I had followed here, was handsome, and unnaturally pale. His eyes were an odd shade of something close to black, but somewhat red. I blinked; I was seeing wrong, no one's eyes could be red. The brown hair on his head was a shade that would look pallid on any but him. His eyes widened when he saw me, and he stepped back a bit. I tried to see my chances of moving past him.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I don't know what I'm doing here. I have somewhere else to be," I lied. I tried to take a step forward, but he raised his hand, blocking my path, and looked questionably at the woman in the room. She cleared her throat.

"Alec, she's here to see Lawrence. Demetri went to fetch him," she said, in a sweet, fake voice.

"Ah." A voice spoke behind me, and I spun around. Demetri was back, standing in the middle of the lobby. Next to him stood a man with graying hair, and lean figure.

I recognized the shape of his face from family pictures of my mother.

_You gotta swim  
Swim in the dark  
There's no shame in drifting  
Feel the tide shifting and wait for the spark  
Yeah you've gotta swim  
Don't let yourself sink_

_-Twenty-two years ago-_

_Friday, June 5th, 8:09pm_

There was an opera singer performing at the Piazza dei Priori. Hundreds of people surrounded the small stage, silent and letting the singer's trilled voice ring across the city. Everyone was rapt and attentive, staring focused at Isabella dei Fergatto or any other thing.

Allegra Marchese stood with her back against the stone building that belonged to the city bank, her eyes fluttering across the hundreds of people assembled in the plaza. Many young men had passed by her that day, and stared at her curiously, hoping she would stare back. But she didn't, her mind focused on something, _someone, _else.

Her father.

The crowd erupted in cheers as Fergatto ended her song, and people started to move around as the singer took a five minute break. People started to move, and Allegra started to feel insecure. She moved into the alley, praying that the fact that Volterra was the world's safest city was true.

A pair of bright red eyes stared back at her from fifteen feet away.

_Just find the horizon  
I promise you it's not as far as you think  
The currents will drag us away from our love  
Just keep your head above  
Just keep your head above_

**Swim **by **Jack's Mannequin**


	5. Whataya Want From Me

_Hey, slow it down  
What do you want from me  
What do you want from me  
Yeah, I'm afraid  
What do you want from me  
What do you from me_

_There might have been a time  
I would give myself away  
(Ooh) Once upon a time  
I didn't give a damn  
But now here we are  
So what do you want from me  
What do you want from me_

_Saturday, June 5th, 9:34pm_

"You lied to us, Lawrence," Caius hissed, as a pale, dark-haired man walked in. He was the man Victoria saw at the art festival. The man looked weakened, and bowed in front of the masters of the Volturi. Aro raised a hand to Caius.

"Peace, brother," Aro said. "We know her, now." Lawrence got up.

"I don't think she'll be as useful as her brother," he said. "It's in genetics: the daughter receives a stronger gene from her father just as a son receives his stronger gene from his mother. A father's Y goes to the son, and mother's X goes to the son. A daughter gets an X from each. Though they are twins, Rehan was more potent --more powerful-- than Vittoria because he's most like his mother."

Aro stood back thoughtfully, mulling the information around in his head.

"That's true," he said. "But it wouldn't hurt to try..."

"She's rebellious," Lawrence said, "She doesn't agree to much, as her brother told me once. Of course, that could have changed much, now that she thinks he's gone. But I doubt she would be very submissive to you; she seems like her mother.

Aro thought again, and turned to the man who stood in the shadows, listening calmly to the conversation.

"What do you think, Demetri?"

Demetri looked down; was Lawrence trying to protect his grand daughter --keeping something from Aro-- or was he genuinely unhopeful for her?

_Saturday, June 5th, 8:16pm_

"It has been too long, granddaughter," he said, his voice rich and clear. We were standing in his office on the third floor of the Palazzo now. I was not one of those girls who cried easily, but I felt like I should now. But nothing would come.

"Long?" My left eye finally started to water. "I've never met you." I said without thinking. I was afraid he may have been offended by me being so abrupt. The water sank back into my eye. Lawrence smiled, unoffended.

"I was present at your birth in Venezia." I had always been told by Amelia that Lawrence had sent letters at the time of our birth requesting our names. Perhaps she was wrong? Lawrence looked at an elderly man by the door who had followed us upstairs.

"Charles, let us be," he said not unkindly. Charles left the room, not shutting the door behind him. Perhaps he did not want me to feel uncomfortable by leaving me alone with Lawrence? I felt the pressure of searching for him for so long slowly, slowly, lifting away.

"What shall I call you? Grandfather, or by your first name?" I said, asking a question that had been bothering me for a while now. An insignificant question.

"Whatever you would prefer. I would prefer grandfather," He smiled. Growing up, Dad had always called him Grandpa, and Amelia always referred to him by his first name. In my head, I supposed he would always be Lawrence. "I- ," Lawrence paused again, "I don't know how, to explain my regret for not being there for you and Rehan."

His expression was painful, his face twisted. I wanted to console him, "Grandfather-"

"I apologize, even though I know words are not enough. I am sorry about Allegra," my heart twinged at the mention of my mother's name. "I am sorry about Rehan. I- ," Lawrence rested his arms on the table. "I will make that up to you."

For a second I remembered something, anger flashing through my veins. My voice was a tad steely, "You never made an effort to look for us."

"I know, I know," he looked uncomfortable. "The circumstances of," he paused, "my work, make it hard to do much out of the castle."

_What does he work for? The Mafia? A terrorist group?_ I said testily, "Why not now?"

"I must speak to the masters of this castle about you. It is my busy schedule with them that prevented me from contact with you and Rehan. Charles will find a room for you in this castle, and you will have to stay here overnight," he said.

"Room?" I said. I had to _stay _here, in this castle, full of people who seemed threatening and suspicious.

"I'm sorry," Lawrence looked at me, genuinely. "I'm sorry that Demetri had to bring you here in such a way. I'm sorry, but you will have to stay here overnight. It is my boss's orders. Any payment you already made for a hotel room elsewhere tonight will be refunded."

"I haven't checked out a room anywhere but," I bit my lip. "I have to stay _here. _For a night?!" Who did he work for? Some secret group? The Opus Dei?

"Yes," Lawrence looked defeated. "I'm sorry," he repeated, "but you will see no one, I promise. The security in this castle is the best in the world, and nothing will happen. I will speak with you in the morning."

"Who do you work for?" I asked. Lawrence picked up a stack of papers from his desk. "I work for a society funded by the government and Church, that goes through ancient documents and books to preserve them. This society is kept secret, because if people knew of us, then they would attempt to steal from us. Does that make sense?" He looked up at me, his green eyes --like my mother's-- boring into mine.

I believed him.

_Just don't give up  
I'm workin' it out  
Please don't give in  
I won't let you down  
It messed me up, need a second to breathe  
Just keep coming around  
Hey, what do you want from me  
What do you want from me_

_Yeah, it's plain to see  
that baby you're beautiful  
And it's nothing wrong with you  
It's me – I'm a freak  
but thanks for lovin' me  
Cause you're doing it perfectly_

_Sunday, June_ 6_th, 11:49am_

I woke up in a dimly lit room. I didn't jolt up like they do in movies after passing out, but lay in bed. I stared at the ceiling and slowly felt my surroundings. I was lying on a bed, over some silky sheets. The light in the room seemed to be coming from a hissing fireplace somewhere north of the bed. The ceiling above me was richly decorated: vast, sculpted ceilings with crown molding and some intricate ornament. I sat up, pulling on the sheets as I did so. I was wearing the same clothes as before, and my bag was sitting on a nightstand to my right. I grabbed it, checking if everything was intact. I pulled out my cellphone. 11:49 A.M., Sunday. _Crap. _My head wheeled through my memories, trying to remember what happened last.

_Demetri...Lawrence...and being escorted up to this room by his servant Charles..._

I felt uneasy. What apparently happened before I passed out seemed to unreal. Well I had to find Lawrence _someday. _I lay back into the pillows, and considered calling my dad. Calling dad was a daily ritual; we were both lonely. Calling him was peaceful, our conversations had long periods of silence that wasn't awkward. We didn't have much to tell each other, we both had hardly any social lives since Rehan died.

I checked my phone after I finished talking to my dad. It was 11:43 A.M. I was still wearing the clothes from yesterday, and they felt a bit unclean after sleeping/being passed out in them. I looked around the ostentatious room. There was a door beside the ornate bookshelves across from the bed. The bathroom?

It _was_ a bathroom. It was sparsely decorated. There was only a bottle of soap among the white marble of the bathroom. It was modern and pristine, with a huge bathtub in the far corner. I washed my face and arms, driving my face with the white towels. I fixed my lopsided ponytail. I never liked keeping my hair open. I didn't like to take showers in unknown places. I only had about fifteen minutes anyways, and I hated to take showers for less than thirty minutes. I went back into the room and sat down on the bed. I was hungry. I had not eaten since breakfast yesterday, and my stomach was grumbling. _This castle isn't exactly for tourism. Who are the masters of the castle? _I lay down on the bed, enveloping myself in thought.

Charles knocked on the door and opened it a while later. I sat up in shock, surprised. Time flew when one was thinking. He bid me to come. We walked through an unfamiliar. Well, everything in the castle was pretty unfamiliar.

"My master has long desired to see his grandchildren," Charles told me as he led me through a different hallway. It was the first time had heard him speak. His voice didn't have the same rich, verbato as Lawrence. It was normal. Human. He glanced at me through the corner of his eye.

"Has he really?" I wondered aloud.

"Yes," he stopped in front of an ornate door, "The masters of the castle repeatedly forbade him. He was overjoyed when your brother came." He opened the door for me, revealing a rich dining room, and left, not giving me the chance to inquire further. Lawrence was sitting at the head of a grand table that could seat only six. The table was set for the seat across from him, which I took. The table was so heavily ornate, the top was mosaic. I saw that he had no food in front of him, only I did. It was some pasta of a sort and salad.

"You're not going to eat?" I asked. I did not mind eating alone, but I didn't like it when people stared at me when I ate.

"No, I am sorry," Lawrence looked a bit uneasy. Was it just me, or had his eyes changed color? They were a brown color now. "Go ahead and start. You can ask me anything, but I cannot guarantee an answer for all."

I took a bite. The food was delicious.

"Is the food to your contentment?" Lawrence prompted me, waiting for a question.

"Yes, very," I swallowed and folded my napkin. "I found a note," my mind reeled to the correct memory. The day Dad was out with his new crew team. Rehan and I finding a note from my mother, Allegra, dated a week before her coma. "Mom wrote it. Rehan," my voice broke. Images of Rehan flooded into my mind, and I hastily tried to block them. "Rehan and I found it.

Mom wrote it, and told Dad to tell us to find you, That we would get our answers from you."

"Yes," Lawrence waited for me to say more.

"What did she want you to tell us?" Lawrence looked uneasy. He shrugged. "Rehan- ," I paused. "Rehan came to visit you, didn't he?"

"Yes," Lawrence looked at me, his eyes mirroring my pain. I felt a surge of anger. How could _he_ be sad when he barely knew angry. I calmed myself down with a sip of water. Rehan had come to find Lawrence two weeks before his suicide. I had not spoken to Rehan after that, he was supposed to be starting freshman year at Yale. I had never found out if he had found Lawrence or not, and the last person to speak to him before he disappeared was my best and only current friend, Elizabeth. They both were going to Yale, but they had not talked much. Lawrence continued. "He did find me."

"But he left, soon." I wanted more than monotonous answers. I wanted to know what happened. _Why? _The question rang in me as it had so many times before. Rehan and I had been twins, we were inseparable. We always told each other almost everything, odd for a brother and sister. _Why did he commit suicide?!_ I stabbed at the pasta, trying to distract myself away from tears. "What did he do here?"

Lawrence tried to smile, as if to hide another emotion. I guess he and I were on the same page. Trying to suppress our misery. He spoke softly. "Your brother didn't have much to do here." I felt a pang of sadness for Lawrence. Had Rehan gotten mad at him for not being there? "He was planning to come again. He mainly asked about Allegra."

That did not make sense. Rehan was always curious about our mother. He used to pester Dad with questions, until he grew up and realized how much pain each question cost our father.

Ever since then, he had an unspoken vendetta against Mom for being comatose. Another burning question came into mind. "Is he- ," I paused. Lawrence waited patiently, "Is he really- ?"

"I am afraid," Lawrence thankfully spared me from finishing, and closed his eyes. "I am afraid Rehan really is dead. Sometimes I have wondered if, if something I did or said prompted him to do it." He sound miserable. A tear slid down my cheek, and I hastily wiped it away. I started to swallow my food faster. Lawrence continued on, "Did you see Lawrence after he came back?"

His voice sounded broken, his face distressed. I shook my head. I tried to keep my voice level. "My friend did. I thought he was busy with settling in for freshman year."

"Rehan did not seem too upset here, in Volterra. He was lively, and not-, not suicidal," he seemed to be consoling me, and himself. I finished my food.

"Grandfather," I wanted to ask the questions bothering me the most, "What was the real reason you couldn't see us? Who was your wife? Why, why is Mom comatose?" The reason for my mom's coma had always been unknown. She was using up blood, for apparently no reason. "Who are the people in this castle? Mom said you would give us answers, but I am not really getting any."

Lawrence looked uneasy again. _Uneasy. Why so uneasy? What can he not say?_ "Victoria, I wish I could tell you-"

"Amelia always said that family was the most important thing to you. I came here so I could believe it." I interrupted, my voice raising, shaking. I remembered the priest I met just yesterday. Why had Rehan visited him? "Could you tell me what Rehan really did here?"

Lawrence folded his arms on the table, looking a bit upset. "There is not much I could tell you or help you with."

"Is that all, then?" I said, upset. A tear fell. I normally cried when I was frustrated, not sad, which was a habit I hated.

"I suppose so," Lawrence said somberly.

"So great," I got up. "Great. Thanks for lunch. It was great." I said angrily, pushing my tears as hard as I could back in my head. "I think I know why Rehan left." Lawrence kept his expression composed. _If he is hurt, why can't he tell me anything?_ I did not want to know about my mother. I didn't want to miss what I never had. I had enough to deal with. _Rehan's suicide...Dad's addiction...now Lawrence..._

"You're leaving," Lawrence sounded surprised. _Of course I'm leaving. You're not helping._

"Yes," I paused, "I have nothing to do here anymore. Thank you for everything, but goodbye." I tried to smile, and walked out of the room without looking back. I went back to the room where my stuff was and started to pick everything up. I was being rude, I knew, but I couldn't take it anymore. Every bit of energy I had was being used in holding back my tears. _Relax Victoria. You are never going to see Lawrence again, it's okay. Just like you are never going to see Rehan ever again..._Charles appeared in the doorway.

"The castle is unsafe. I will take you outside."

The priest had same the same thing about Volterra. It was unsafe.

My eyes moved over to my grandfather's, and his green eyes bore into mine.

_There might have been a time  
When I would let you step away_

_I wouldn't even try but I think  
you could save my life_

_Just don't give up on me  
I won't let you down  
No, I won't let you down_

_Saturday, June 6th, 9:23pm_

All for nothing. All that searching in Volterra for nothing.

I lay back in bed and shut my eyes, yearning for sleep to come. I considered calling Liz, my best friend, but I had no reason to. If I told her that I was searching for the reason of Rehan's death in Italy, she would think I still hadn't let go of his death. And that was true, I hadn't let go.

How could I let go?

_Just don't give up on me  
I won't let you down  
No, I won't let you down_

_-Twenty-two years ago-_

_Friday, June 5th, 8:14pm_

The lights flashed somewhere behind Allegra –probably from tourists taking pictures—and for a single millisecond, the red eyed figure was illuminated. A young man wearing a black sports jacket, sunglasses in the dark alley, and a red silk scarf around his neck stood there.

She gasped, too frozen and spellbound to move. The alley darkened again, and the red eyed figure disappeared.

Another flash of light appeared, but Allegra's father was gone.

_Just don't give up  
I'm workin' it out  
Please don't give in  
I won't let you down  
It messed me up, need a second to breathe  
Just keep coming around  
Hey, whataya want from me  
(whataya want from me)  
Whataya want from me  
whataya want from me_

**Whataya Want From Me** by **Adam Lambert**


	6. Prelude 1221

_This is what I brought you this you can keep,  
This is what I brought you may forget me.  
I promise to depart just promise one thing,  
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

_Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

Monday felt like hell. I couldn't help but feel guilty for walking out on Lawrence. Not even my conscience could alleviate the twitching agony inside. So, I did what I always did when I got distressed. I went to the lab and did research. Ricci was going to get sick of me. By the end of the day, my eyes were blazing from staring at the computer screen and computing data.

Tuesday was better, partially because I started my morning by talking with Liz at 6 A.M. I neglected to tell her that I spent my past weekend searching for Lawrence, and finding him. A pang of guilt twinged my insides; I had never kept secrets from her before Rehan died. However, she never ceased to alleviate my mood. I still felt guilty for turning my back on my grandfather, and that was the worst. Guilt was still scalding my insides, but I grudgingly put a smile on that day for research.

_This is what I thought,  
I thought you need me,  
This is what I thought so think me naïve,  
I promise you a heart you'd promise to keep,  
Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

_Wednesday, June 9th 9:03pm_

I dreaded coming home to my empty apartment with nothing to occupy me but my thoughts and guilt. The sky was slowly darkening already. It was windy today, and as I pushed my self to the far end of the huge parking lot I struggled to keep my ponytail out of my face. I had my hair cut to a little below my shoulders before I came to Italy, but it still got in my face. My car was parked in the back in a secluded area. I pulled my white sweatshirt around me tighter and clutched my phone tightly in my hand. Cecina was a pretty safe city, but you never knew what could happen. I got into my car and opened the driver's door. I leaned over and dropped my bag in the back seat, dropping my phone as I did so. _Crap._ It bounced and fell in the far corner under the passenger seat. I bent over to reach it; it was so far, I had to lean over on my toes. I felt conscious of my back, glad no one was probably behind me. I grabbed my phone. _Got it!_

"Lawrence wants you," a velvet, verbato voice shocked me and I hit my head against the car's roof. _Ow!_ My phone fell out of my hand again and re-disappeared under the seat. _Shoot!_ I turned my head to see a tall, pal, dark-haired man standing at the side of the car, staring at me with amusement. _Damn it! Why do I always see him at the wrong times!_ I felt a tendril of fear graze me. _What the hell is he doing here?_

It was _Demetri._ The guy who I had hopelessly followed into the castle where Lawrence was. Of course, he had helped me find Lawrence...but in an almost creepy way. As if there almost another purpose to me finding Lawrence.

I struggled to get up and stand out of the car. My phone was still somewhere in there. I could not make out Demetri's expression. Half his face was covered in sunglasses. My face was probably tinged pink with embarrassment. I cleared my throat, "What are you doing here?"

The words came out in a gurgled rush, and I cleared my throat again. Demetri looked bored, as if he would rather do something else. He looked...apathetic. So different to how he was last time, around me. He had been adamant on getting me to admit I was looking for Lawrence. Now, I supposed, he had no need for me. Or he knew that I was wrapped around his finger.

Anger flashed through me, for a second.

"Lawrence wants you," he repeated again.

"I heard you the first time," I snapped. Which I hadn't, really. I smoothed my hair. "Now?" He nodded, as if that was obvious. "I am done talking with him." I said, feeling that stupid twinge of guilt again.

"Maybe so, but he wants to talk to you and I know you do not want to cut yourself off from him," he said dully. _How would _he _know I don't want to cut myself off from Lawrence?_ Which was true. I did not want to never see Lawrence again. Demetri continued, "I am not to come back to him without you, so you might as well get in the car. He wants to make amends."

His voice was beautiful, like how I had always imagined an angel's voice to be. I tried not to let my conscience wander. I was not going to let a total stranger take me somewhere. _So, is he going to come with me in the car? _Demetri spoke, reading my thoughts, "I am to drive you there."

"No way. I'll drive myself. You can go back to Lawrence. I'm not going to let you drive me there." _I am not going to let some total stranger drive me somewhere!_ Yet, I felt comforted by his voice, it was soothing. I didn't give in, but I wondered how he, himself got here. I didn't see an unfamiliar car. Demetri looked at me, annoyance visible.

"Do you even know how to get there?" he said, his voice demeaning. I cringed, unused to hostility. I gathered up my confidence.

"No, but you can tell me, can't you?" I said. Demetri sighed impatiently and walked over to the passenger door. _Should I just let him drive?_

"Alright," he opened the door for himself and sat down. He started at me. My heart was fluttering inside me. Was he upset, or what? Thankfully, his expression softened a bit. I realized he was not wearing a cloak/cape today. He looked at me. I was still standing, spellbound. "You do know that if I drove I wouldn't take you anywhere other than Lawrence, do you?"

His voice was like thick honey, slowly pouring into my ears. I felt soothed. I nodded, feeling relaxed. _Don't give in._ "Well, I cannot know that for sure."

I shook my head, ridding myself of compliance to him. Experience told me not to trust him. _Stupid Victoria. You've met beautiful people like him before. Don't trust them. _Part of my conscience was still wondering why it was always him I kept running in to. I sat down and turned on the car, pulling out of the parking lot. I glanced at Demetri. He was staring out of the window, waiting until I got out of the hospital's area. Demetri turned his head to me, and I quickly averted my gaze. I got onto a highway. He spoke again, his velvet voice annoyed, "Take this highway until exit SS349, and I will guide you from there."

I stared at his thin white fingers tracing a path in the air as he spoke. _Focus, Victoria._ I did not want to get in a car accident with him around. I started to feel more aware of everything I was doing. My heartbeat was normal, but my breathing became more evident to me. My sleeve was a bit pulled up on my left arm, too. Half of mind was reprimanding me for being so nervous. _It's not like you're going to marry him or something._ I took a deep breath and relaxed, trying to shift my thoughts to an upcoming Neural Science exam. I drove in silence for the first few minutes. The silence was eating me. He did not appear to have anything more to say to me, or want to say to me. And I had nothing to ask him. I glanced at him surreptitiously through the corner of my eye. His black hair contrasted with his pale white skin perfectly. He seemed to...pretty to be human. Too angelic. I turned my head and kept my eyes on the road. I was a safe driver. I had only ever gotten into one accident. A few months after Rehan died. I tried to set up a mental wall as the memories of that cold night flooded in. It was the night after I found heroin in Dad's study. I had thrown it away, talked to him, and we had both cried. I was going back to Princeton that Sunday night. The pain of Rehan's death, and now Dad's addiction had consumed me. I felt desperate. Suicidal. I had driven off the road into a forest, hoping there was a creek or river somewhere. Wouldn't it have been best to die like Rehan had died? There was no river, and my car had been smashed against a tree. Paramedics found me the next morning. Dad had never found out. I still had a scar on my arm from that night. I shuddered, and Demetri seemed to notice, glancing at me. I had temporarily forgotten about him.

The silence kept agonizing me. I contemplated turning on the radio, but I did not want a conflict of music choices.

"Could I?" his velvet voice shocked me again, and I swerved a bit to the lane on my right.

"Huh?" I had lost myself too far in my memories. I looked at him. He had opened my glove compartment and seemed to be asking if he could look through the many Cd's jammed in there without their cases. The silence was probably eating him, too. He was staring at me with an annoyed expression on his face, like I was an idiot. I probably did look like an idiot them. "Oh.

Uh, sure."

He started flipping through them slowly, almost deliberately slow. I was afraid he wouldn't like anything and kept glancing at him. Most of the music I listened to after Rehan was classical and movie scores. I had become obsessed with movie soundtracks, and some old music. _At least it helps the silence problem._

"You like classics?" he observed, his rich voice surprised and not so hostile.

"Oh. Uh, yeah. Yes, I do." I felt a bit flustered talking to him. He put in a CD, and a familiar tune filled my ears. Titanic. I asked casually, "Were you born in Italy?"

"No," he said, his voice thoughtful yet guarded. "My father moved here from Greece many years ago."

"Oh," I said. I had born in Venezia. "So, do you speak Greek?"

"Yes," he said, his voice still guarded. I blinked. He didn't sound like he really wanted to talk to me. However, he did speak again. "Have you ever met Lawrence before?"

I shook my head. I guessed he _was _up for conversation. "No. Well, I don't remember him. Do you know him well?"

"Pretty well." Demetri shrugged. "He told me you were studying medicine?"

"Oh," I don't think I told him that. Perhaps Ricci contacted him? "Not exactly. I plan to go to medical school, but I'm majoring in Latin and doing chemistry research."

"That's pretty good." He said. He started to flip through my CDs again. "I've seen your brother."

"You have?" My voice was hoarse. "Did you talk to him?"

"A bit," he said, pausing. He looked at me. "He missed you. Talked about you a lot."

"We were close," I said, looking back at the road. My eyes felt wet, but I blinked everything back. I hoped he hadn't noticed. We sat silently for a few more moments, absorbing the

melancholy scores coming from the CD player.

"You do drive slow," Demetri commented, suddenly sounding annoyed. I guessed the melancholy "Hymn to the Sea" that was playing was getting to us both.

"I am driving above the speed limit!" I said, aggravated. Dad always said I drove pretty fast. Of course Amelia refused to be in a car when I was driving, thinking I was reckless. Her late

husband left her with a fine sum of money and a limo with a butler, which she always used.

"Really, I can get you to Volterra in _ten minutes_ from here. If you'd only let me," he said, sighing.

"Fine!" I pulled over to the side of the road. After mentioning Rehan, I didn't want to put up with his phrases. I stopped the car and got out of the car. He stared at me, surprised. "_You_

can drive. But if you take me anywhere. Anywhere away from that castle, I will jump out."

He looked surprised, but got out of the passenger seat. Apparently he didn't think I would give in so fast. We walked around the car to the opposite seats and sat down. I stared out of my window, disgruntled.

"You're welcome," I said sarcastically. He got back onto the highway and said nothing. He didn't thank me. The Titanic soundtrack playing was annoying me now. Silence hardly ever

bothered me, but now it felt overly awkward. I stared at my feet, looking at the flowers on my orange Chuck Taylor's. I absent-mindedly glanced at the speedometer to see how fast he

was going.

"You're going to get us killed!" I gasped. He was driving about a hundred and ten miles per hour. Demetri laughed, all signs of his former annoyance gone.

"I won't. I always drive like this," he countered. However, he did slow down. By ten miles. He was still going by a hundred miles an hour. "Better?"

"A bit," I said, still aggravated by him. _Let it go Victoria. _I glanced at him. His expression was unreadable. I turned the AC on and tried not to stare out of the window. "So, why does Lawrence want me again?"

"To talk to you," he said in a bit of a demeaning tone.

"I know that! But about what?" I said, a bit impertinently. He turned to face me. We were already turning into the castle; the back portcullis was raising. "And you're still driving fast!"

He glanced at me, annoyed. "Get used to it. It's Italy. We like to drive fast, and we do not have the same secure police system as America."

"How did you even find me? I didn't tell Lawrence where I worked," I asked.

"You would do best to quietly find out," he said, in a tone that didn't prompt me to inquire him further. He pulled into a massive garage inside the castle walls but not connected to the castle, and parked next to a gray Ferrari. I shut up and got out of the car, taking only my cell phone, following him to the back door of the castle. He pulled out keys and unlocked it. _Is he still mad? _He held the door open for me.

"Thanks," I said as I entered. At least I had the decency to thank him. He grunted in reply, not looking back at me as I followed him up to Lawrence's study. Lawrence's study was pretty deep inside the castle, and we walked all the long while in silence. We approached the study, and Lawrence was sitting at his desk. He acknowledged my presence and smiled. Was it just me, or were his eyes a different shade this time?

"Good evening granddaughter," he said. He certainly did look like he felt guilty for something. I shifted uncomfortably.

"Evening," I said, hesitating.

"Demetri," he said. Demetri's head snapped up in recognition. "Thank you. You may go." Demetri left the room in silence. I looked at Lawrence.

"Victoria," he paused, "victoria. I...I do apologize for my behavior on Sunday." I felt bad, his expression was pained. "Truth is, I have been trying to get permission for you to be here. I still cannot explain what I am doing here, and who I work for. It is nothing really to worry about. It is not terrorist group or the like. Nothing harmful to Volterra."

I nodded, and he continued. "They do require you to stay away from the others in this castle."

"If so, how come you sent Demetri to find me? How did he find me?" I asked quietly. Lawrence paused before answering.

"I contacted Stanford, and they told me where you are. Demetri is one of the most...level-headed of us," he said after what seemed like much deliberation. "I hope he did you no harm?"

"No, no. He didn't. He just drives a bit like a maniac, but that's not bothersome." I smiled, hoping wherever Demetri was he heard me. He _did_ drive like a maniac, no matter how carefully.

Lawrence looked relieved.

"So," he held his hand out to me, "Are we alright?"

I took his hand. "We're all right. I suppose I was not thinking straight. Mom would have wanted me to spend time with you," I said.

"I hope you don't mind..." Lawrence took a sharp breath in. "I was wondering if you're okay with quitting research and working here, with me. The masters of this castle would be very glad

if you stayed here, with us. You could live here, free of charge, and help me preserve the ancient books in this castle, more relevant to your major. I though you might enjoy this

oppurtunity, to be immersed in this history. You will be paid much more than at your current lab."

I blinked. Live here...work as a historian...give up chemistry research.

Lawrence's eyes bore into mine.

"I'll do it," I stuttered without thinking. "But I'm not going to live here," I said. There was still something unnerving about the Palazzo.

_Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

_Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

**Prelude 12/21** by **AFI**


	7. An Honest Mistake

_People  
They don't mean a thing to you  
They move right through you  
Just like your breath  
But sometimes  
I still think of you  
And I just wanted to  
Just wanted you to know  
My old friend...  
I swear I never meant for this  
I never meant..._

_Thursday, June 8th, 3:14am_

I was dreaming of Rehan.

He was sitting on a porch with about eight others. They were all pale and looked tired. Was something wrong with all of them? Did I look pale and have shadows under my eyes too? The sky was cloudy. Rehan looked at me, and smiled. I tried to smile back, but I couldn't feel my body. Was I a spirit?

Suddenly, the clouds gave way, revealing the sun. The light shone down on Rehan and the others, but it was only Rehan I focused on. The light danced on his skin, and I gasped. His pale, pale skin was covered in diamonds. Not diamonds, I realized, but every bit of his skin shone as if it was embedded with crystals. The other eight, spectacularly beautiful ones, were also shimmering. I should have felt my heart beat faster, but I couldn't feel anything. Nothing. I tried to move my hands, breathe, but I couldn't. I opened my mouth, if I even had one.

"You're dead," I stuttered to Rehan. He came closer and took my hand, and nodded. I shivered. His hand was ice cold.

"Yes," he said, squeezing my hand. For a second I felt warmth. The security I had not felt in almost four years. My eye ached, like a tear should have came out but my supply of water was gone. I stared into Rehan's eyes, looking for the dark blue safe ones like my own. But they weren't there. Rehan's eyes were the sweetest shade of amber. I felt surprised. After Rehan's death, I hated to look in the mirror. I would look at my reflection and see him, his eyes. What happened? Rehan jerked his head to the woods by the house. I heard wolves howling, coming closer. Rehan brought my hand closer to him and looked deep into my eyes.

"Don't worry," he consoled me, his voice more charming than I remembered. I blinked. Something was wrong. He pulled me in to hug me and looked in my eyes. "We'll protect you. We're vampires," he said, revealing a set of sharp, straight teeth. I gasped and tried to pull away, but he held me to tight. Our surroundings seemed to fade, and darken. The eight sitting on the porch changed form, becoming someone else. I watched in horror as Rehan's black-brown hair slightly grew longer and darkened. His eyes, which were boring into mine, turned red. Bright red. His features changed, becoming Demetri. I tried again in vain to pull away from Demetri's embrace, but his pale hand was firmly enlocked on my wrist. I looked at the darkness behind me. I saw Heidi, Lawrence, Afton, Felix, and several others. I shivered. Demetri ran his pale hand through my hair, and brought his mouth to my ear. I felt my soul shrink by his closeness, my head on his lean, muscled chest. He was whispering incoherent words into my ear. I heard someone scream, and a sharp pain under my ear. I jerked my head to see if Demetri had bitten me, but he was gone. I fell backwards. I was all alone, in darkness.

_Don't look at me that way  
It was an honest mistake  
Don't look at me that way  
It was an honest mistake  
An honest mistake_

_Thursday, June 8th, 6:30am_

My alarm woke me up at 6:30 A.M. I checked my email while slowly chewing my cereal for breakfast. My professors had replied, permitting me to take lessons with Lawrence. I wondered again, why I was doing this. I knew i would probably get myself into some thing stupid, not to mention have a few more embarassing moments with Demetri. But, as I was so accustomed to doing, I went against my feelings. I printed out directions to Volterra in case I did not remember it. I was good with direction, but very bad with roads.

I got to Volterra on time. I couldn't help but notice that the silver Ferrari was gone today. I walked to the back door, remembering yesterday Demetri had unlocked. _Damn!_ I hit my head against the door. It was locked, and I didn't even have anyway to contact Lawrence. I wondered if he had a cellphone. I tentatively knocked on the door, hoping Demetri wouldn't open it. No one did. An envelope slid out from under. I opened it, and there was a key and a note.

**Victoria-**

**Keep this key. It opens all outer doors.**

It was not signed. I attached the key on my keychain and unlocked the door. No one was in the empty back room, and I silently made my way back to Lawrence's study. Thankfully, I remembered the way. Lawrence was happy to see me. Almost ecstatic, I hadn't seen him with that much energy before. But then again, our past two meetings had not been short of unpleasant. He took me to a small but crowded room a few rooms away; crowded with flaking books. Lawrence was a pretty mentor, we went through the books and he taught me how to preserve the binding. Mostly I did something similar to what I did in my old lab, I recorded the age of the books and dates we kept tabs on them.

_Sometimes  
I forget I'm still awake  
I fuck up and say these things out loud_

_  
Friday, June 9th, 8isham_

The next day I got to the castle at the same time. I didn't mind the forty five minute drive. I liked long drives; they kept me distracted and calm. I could focus on the road rather than mundane issues. I came to the castle and walked slowly to the lab, this time appreciating all of the castle's ornaments. I _was _a bit early anyways, and there was no reason I could get used to my surroundings. I stopped in front of an almost romantic style painting hanging on one of the walls.

"Well, well, well. It's the girl everyone's been talking about," a cheery drawl came from behind me. I jumped slightly, and gasped. A huge, hulking man stood behind me. He was pale, much like the other inhabitants of the castle --apart from Charles. His muscles would be the envy of any pro-wrestler. He winked at me.

"What do you mean everyone's been talking about me?" I asked, finding my voice, and raising an eyebrow. I was glad Demetri wasn't with him. The man seemed humorous, and shrugged.

"Well, we didn't actually think you would come here after you brother," he said in a deep drawl, that was not as intimidating as his figure. A felt something mentally poke me. Had he met Rehan too? I didn't want to ask. I didn't want to know anything about Rehan anymore. I had to move on. That would be the right thing to do.

Right?

"So, Lawrence told you who I am?" I asked apprehensively. He nodded. He was wearing that odd cloak everyone who worked in the castle seemed to wear. His was in a different, lighter shade of gray, however. Were they colored by rank, or something?

"Yeah. He's been begging the masters to let him visit you for a while," he said, smiling. "He's with the masters right now, talking to them about you."

"He is?" I asked. I was more concerned about who exactly the masters were, but I figured if Lawrence wouldn't tell me, he wouldn't either. Plus, I didn't want to ask him anything he may find offensive. No one would exactly want to anger him.

"Pretty sure," he said, his eyes twinkling. I looked at his eyes for a split second before turning away. They were dark red. I blinked. It couldn't be so. He didn't seem like a character from _The Exorcist. _Felix continued, unaware of my discomfort. "I _did _see Lawrence with them right now. Oy Demetri!"

My head snapped up. I did not want Demetri here. I'd do something stupid again. Nevertheless, Demetri was calmly walking up the hallway, staring at me curiously. He broke his gaze away from me and looked at the man, smiling.

"Is Lawrence still downstairs" the man said. His voice was rich, like the aura of someone who had lived old, but was still young.

"Yes," Demetri said, pausing next to him. He surreptitiously shot a warning glance to the huge man. Was it because I was here?

"Ah, um. I guess I'll go wait for him, then." I said, blinking and trying to get away from there as fast as I could. Demetri held up his hand. I stopped.

"Wait," he and I both looked at each other, surprised. I hadn't expected him to stop me, and I guessed he hadn't expected to either. "It's better if you don't. This castle is dangerous." He spoke softly, probably relaxed in his home. I felt more at ease. "Felix and I will take you to his study and wait with you there."

"Oh, um, that's okay. I've been up there by myself. I'll be okay," I said, to spare me the awkward moments we would probably have. "Thanks though," I added, not to be rude. Felix shook his head.

"Really, we insist_._ Lawrence told us to take you if you were here already. You don't want to run into some creepy guy like Demetri all alone. It's better if we're both with you," he said, winking at me. Demetri rolled his eyes. They acted like brothers, it was comforting. I had to give in to them. I didn't want to say no to them both, especially Felix. I really still thought they

were Mafia or something.

"Well, uh, alright," I said, confused. I really didn't want to say no to someone like Felix. "Where's Charles?" I asked. I trusted Charles a bit more than them.

"He has errands in the city," Demetri's dark reddish brown eyes caught mine. _They're not red. They're brown. BROWN. _I tried to make myself believe. "I have written proof from Lawrence allowing us to take you, if you wish."

"No thanks," I said hastily. I guessed my uneasiness was showing. "I believe you."

I followed Felix up to Lawrence's study, while Demetri silently walked behind me. I felt awkward with him walking behind me, I couldn't tell what he was doing. Felix's long cloak swept on the ancient marble floors. Felix opened the grand door to his study and went and sat on Lawrence's chair behind the desk. I stood to the side of the room, not wanting to sit down and be unaware of what they were doing. Demetri sat down on a chair on the other side of the door by the wall. Felix picked up the books Lawrence and I were preserving, handling them carelessly, humming.

"Victoria Van Alen?" Felix asked from Lawrence's desk, looking at the notes I had taken a day before. Demetri's head perked up in interest. Had he not known my name yet. I nodded, and he spoke again. "You're pretty smart for a..."

He broke off, probably realizing he was going to say something wrong. I prompted him, "For a...?"

Demetri shot him a warning glance. What was with all these warning glances? _What _is _going on in this castle? _Felix cleared his throat.

"For an American. We don't have very high standards of them over here," Demetri cut in. I raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I am half Italian..." I said surreptitiously. Felix looked surprised.

"Oh, really?" He asked. I smiled.

"Lawrence _is _my grandfather," I said. Demetri smiled.

"Oh," Felix regained composure, "right." Demetri laughed. It was a pretty sound, like angels laughing from a church wing. My breath stopped short for a minute. Felix grinned at me and

threw a book at Demetri. Demetri ducked, so fast I didn't see him move, and the book hit the wall. I stood, astounded. It had hit harder than I thought, though the stone walls were not

damaged. Felix noticed my shocked expression.

"Oh! My bad!" He said, "You know I didn't mean to hurt him, right?"

"I know, I know. I just thought you'd be a lot more careful in a castle like this," I laughed. It reminded me so much of Rehan. Demetri smiled, too. This was probably the first time we were both simultaneously happy. I felt happy, whole for once. Like the torn pieces of my body were slowly gluing together.

"Oh, no one here really minds if we break anything," Felix grinned mischievously.

"Except for one of the masters...and Renata," Demetri put in a regretful voice. He and Felix shared a glance.

"What have you done?" I asked curiously. Felix grinned widely, revealing straight, sharp white teeth. My heart dropped for a second before pulling back up. I had seen teeth like that before. On Rehan, last night in my dream.

"Felix tore a corner of the Vermeer you were looking at when he found you," Demetri said. Felix threw another book at Demetri, lightly this time. I smiled, a bit surprised they were so considerate of my presence.

"You and I had jointly contributed to that!" he said, then turning to me, "One of the masters - Caius - went ballistic," I laughed. It reminded me of the things Rehan and I did. I had always been a bit of a tomboy. I had not really grown up around any women, Amelia was barely around.

"Santiago thankfully cleaned it up for us, though," Demetri said. I wondered how many people lived in the castle. Felix eyes widened as he seemed to realize something, looking at me.

"Oh! Those books I threw at him, are they yours?" he asked, worried. I smiled. Demetri picked the both up.

"No, they're not," he said, looking inside them, and answering for me. He looked at me, catching my gaze again. "You're studying medicine?"

I nodded, and glanced at the clock on the wall over Felix's head. It was past eight o'clock. "When exactly is Lawrence coming?"

"Tired of us already?" Demetri smirked, but continued, looking thoughtful, "Not too long, I'm guessing the masters have a lot to say."

"Are they not happy I'm here?" I asked.

"On the contrary, they are very happy you are here?" Demetri said quietly, probably not for me to hear. I had surprisingly good hearing, Rehan and I both did. I could hear people in the room beside me, no matter how thick the walls. I wanted to ask him what he meant, but Felix broke in.

"Where are you staying? Here in Italy, I mean?" he asked. I looked up at him.

"Cecina. By the sea," I said. I always loved the sea, but after Rehan died I couldn't bring myself near it. Rehan had plunged into the sea....

"Ah, Cecina," Felix said thoughfully, his arm lopsided on the back of the chair, "Lovely place, but you should go to Geneva."

I smiled. "I was planning to later this summer, since I have already found Lawrence, but it's about two or three hours away."

"It only takes about an hour," Demetri said slowly, glancing over at me. I felt warm.

"I don't drive recklessly," I reminded him. Felix smiled. "What do you do here, in the castle?" I asked. Demetri and Felix exchanged a glance.

"Nothing really. Patrol? Entertaining tourists," Felix said dully. He probably wished for a job with more fighting. "We're somewhat like guards." I nodded. I'd be more careful around them. He spoke again, "Who else have you met in the castle?"

"You two, Lawrence...Charles...," I said.

"And Alec," Demetri put in, looking at the doorway and getting up. Lawrence entered the room, looking a bit harried. It was as if Demetri had a premonition that Lawrence was coming.

"Felix, Demetri," he said, nodding at the two of them, "Thank you." They nodded and left, smiling at me as the passed.

"Bye Victoria," Felix said, winking at me playfully. Demetri just looked straight ahead. Lawrence at them apprehensively before resting his eyes on me.

"I hoped they watched over you well?" he asked. I nodded, smiling. He look relieved. "Good. I am sorry I am late. It will not happen again,"

"It's all right Grandfather," I said, hesitating, "You aren't having any trouble are you? With me being here?"

Lawrence shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. "No, no." He looked troubled. "I just don't want you to go around the castle alone. Alright?" He said, looking into my eyes. I nodded, knowing full well there was something he wasn't telling me. He clapped his hands together, gathering himself. "Well! I suppose we need to get to work. Don't we?"

I nodded, and we headed to the other room. I kept thinking all the while, what exactly could they be doing in the castle? It wasn't tourism, I knew. After Lawrence's lectures and experiments, I quietly started to work on my assignments.

"Grandfather?" I asked timidly, breaking the silence.

"Yes?" He replied, pausing from shuffling papers to give me his attention. I bit my lip.

"People don't naturally have red eyes, do they?" I asked. It was a stupid question, but I didn't know how to directly ask him why Felix, Demetri, and Afton all had red eyes. Lawrence looked troubled by my question, but answered promptly.

"They do it for the tourists. They are wearing contacts. It's a bit odd," he smiled, referring to the other inhabitants of the castle, "But they like to do it. Their pale skin is makeup, and they don't like to go out in the sun to keep their frightening image. The tourist enjoy it, so they wear the cloaks too." He smiled, looking at me.

But my eyes traced the pattern on the oak desk I was working on, not looking at his powerful green eyes. "Oh. I was just wondering."

Lawrence smiled and resumed working with the papers. He laughed, giving me chills. Not because his laugh was frightening, but of its beauty. Its ringing was so similar to Demetri's, too beautiful to be a human's laugh. I brushed the though from my mind and continued to work.

I didn't believe Lawrence. I know I should have, but I couldn't believe him. There was something he was keeping from me.

_Don't look at me that way  
It was an honest mistake  
Don't look at me that way  
It was an honest mistake  
An honest mistake_

**An Honest Mistake **by **The Bravery**


	8. Chasing Pavements

_I've made up my mind,  
Don't need to think it over  
If I'm wrong, I am right  
Don't need to look no further,  
This ain't lust  
I know this is love  
But, if I tell the world  
I'll never say enough  
Cos it was not said to you  
And that's exactly what I need to do  
If I end up with you_

_

* * *

  
_

_Saturday, June 11th, 8:36pm_

He knew it wasn't the _wisest _thing to be doing right now. Stalking someone whom Aro hadn't even told him to stalk.

But it technically wasn't stalking, right? For all anybody knew, he could be in Pisa for any other ordinary reason. But Demetri was curious.

Right now she was wandering aimlessly through the streets, 0.36 miles away. What was she looking for? She had been with a male and female only twenty minutes ago, but where was she going now? It was a pity he couldn't read her thoughts from the cafe he sat at, with his sunglasses covering his face.

_But..._Demetri's lip curled as another familiar being crossed the path.

* * *

_Should I give up,  
Or should I just keep chasin' pavements?  
Even if it leads nowhere  
Or would it be a waste  
Even if I knew my place  
Should I leave it there  
Should I give up,  
Or should I just keep chasin' pavements  
Even if it leads nowhere_

_

* * *

  
_

_Saturday, June 11th, 8:07pm_

My best friend was getting married. In Italy. This summer.

Her fiancee, Kellan, was here with her to prepare for their wedding in two months. They had been ecstatic to see me, and I guessed that every couple needed a supportive friend. We had driven around Pisa, went on the Leaning Tower, and went out for lunch. The good thing about Liz and Kellan was that they weren't too lovey in front of me. I always tried to give them as much time as possible for that.

I searched in my pockets, digging for my phone so I could call my dad while the food was getting ready.

"Crap! I left my phone somewhere!" I said. My phone wasn't in my pockets. I hadn't brought a purse. I didn't like to carry them around. Liz checked her purse and Kellan checked his pockets, coming up with nothing.

"I don't have it," said Kellan, "id you leave it at that temple we were just at?" He asked worriedly.

"Probably," I said. The temple closed at seven. I got up, hoping the guards would let me in. "I'm going to go look for it, okay? I'll be back soon."

"Wait! We'll come with you!" Liz got up too, dragging Kellan's hand. I tried to make her sit down.

"No, no. It's okay. I won't be long and I'm not hungry anyways. It's not even dark out yet," I said. Kellan looked at Liz, smiling.

"Yeah Liz. Victoria can take care of herself. But," he got up, sliding his chair as he did so, "_I _should probably go with you, to make sure you don't forget what you're looking for." He winked, and I rolled my eyes. Two years ago, when we were both acting in Broadway, I was the one who always forgot where I left my script.

"No, no." I laughed. "I'll be back in ten minutes max.," I said, sweeping out of the restaurant. I needed some time alone anyway. I couldn't stand being around people for too long. I was too used to my reclusive lifestyle. I started to run to the temple, hoping someone hadn't stolen my phone or something stupid. It was around 8:20 according to a huge clock tower in a plaza I ran through. tourists stared at me, wondering where I was going, but I ignored them. I hadn't ran in a long time. I felt energized. I reached the temple entrance, out of breath, and approached a security guard, whose eyes widened when he saw me.

"Please let me in! I left my cell phone inside!" I said. He looked at my harried expression and nodded me inside, opening the gate. The lights were off. The staff was probably almost done cleaning up. I ran in, searching for the one specific hallway Liz and I had spent the most time, taking pictures. I crawled on the floor, desperately groping my hands over the dusty floor, finding nothing.

"Looking for this?" I heard a pale, whispery, yet alluring voice coming from a corner. My eyes slowly drew upward, to a pale hand holding out my phone.

"Yeah." My hand reached out for it, and I gasped. The figure stepped into view. My heart stuck in my throat. He was pale, like Demetri and Felix, but chalky, almost withering away. But he was worse. His gaunt face was framed by ashy blond hair, so pale it seemed gray. Sunken, black eyes sank into his pale face, giving him a starved look. I shuddered. He looked like a dead corpse from a horror movie, his body clothed in black clothes that hinted at older designs. I straightened my back, frightened. _You're hallucinating. This isn't happening. You hit your head Victoria, it's just a vision. It's okay._ My mind was set at lying to me. He took a graceful step closer, so much lightly than I thought he would. I heard a frightened gasp. From me? I silently screamed at myself to take a step back, to run away. But I couldn't. I had a feeling it would be useless.

Another dark shadow appeared behind me. I was afraid they could hear my loud, pounding heartbeat pulsating throughout my body. My hands were frozen on the dusty red carpet. _Security. Why isn't there the temple security? Nightguards?_ My blood was racing, my limbs frozen with fear. Who was behind me? Another pale hand came from behind me, and grabbed my hand, pulling me up. My mouth opened to scream. But my voice was gone. I inhaled sharply as the owner of the pale hand brought me to his cold, hard body. He, or she, smelled familiar. Something spicy, musky, but not with the chemical essence of cologne. Something unnaturally pleasant.

"Stefan," said a familiar voice coldly. Demetri. My fear melted away irrationally, and was replaced with relief. I shouldn't have felt relieved. Demetri could still harm me, I knew, but for someone vague reason I trusted him. I felt his muscled chest tense as I leaned in closer. His right hand was gripping my left wrist, and he quickly pulled me behind him, shielding me. Stefan leered at the two of us. Demetri hissed. Literally. It was a frightening sound, animal-like. Tendrils of fear began to choke my spine. My throat started to clog up, and I felt dizzy. Stefan and Demetri were talking to each other, their words incoherent to my ears. They were speaking low, and angrily. I glanced up quickly at Demetri's face. He looked angry. It terrified me. _The temple is so dark already. How can he see?_ Stefan growled -- a fearsome, guttural sound -- his lips pulled back to reveal startlingly white teeth. I flinched instinctively, and buried my head in Demetri's shoulderblade. I felt Demetri take hold of my arm, and my legs nimbly followed. He wheeled me out of the temple; Stefan had disappeared. I was too spellbound to speak.

I heard a sound. A car door opening? I sat on something soft, and leathery. I tried to understand my surroundings, blinking wildly. I was in a car. The leather under me felt rich, expensive. The entire interior of the car was bright red. I glanced at the steering wheel. A Ferrari. Was it the gray one I had seen in the castle? Anger was evident on Demetri's face, his pale hands moving unnaturally fast on the steering wheel. He noticed me staring at them, and slowed down. I blinked. He was driving fast. Too fast. I didn't want to stare at the speedometer, the blur outside my window was enough. He stopped the car -- where, I had no idea. He was pinching the bridge of his nose while his eyes were closed. As if to stop himself from breathing, and calm himself down. I didn't think someone so beautiful as him could look so angry. It terrified me.

"Are-," my voice came out shaky, still terrified. "Are you okay?" I asked. He probably looked worse than I did.

Demetri chuckled darkly, humorless. "Am _I _okay?"

I nodded, wondering if I said something wrong. His eyes flew open and he looked at me. I stiffened under his gaze. I cleared my throat to speak again, "Did you know him?"

Demetri nodded, starting the car again. I didn't want to question where he was going to take me. He glanced at me, his almost-black eyes kind. "Are _you_ okay?" He asked softly, much more softly than I had heard before. I nodded, my heart fluttering at his kind tone. I shifted uncomfortably.

"Thank you," I looked in his eyes. He didn't look back, keeping his eyes on the road. "Really, thank you,"

"You're welcome," he said, his eyes softening even as they stayed trained on the road. I sat silently for a few minutes, trying to reel myself in of everything that just happened. Demetri parked the car and I looked out. He had stopped in front of the same restaurant I had left Liz and Kellan.

"Oh..." my voice trailed off. How had he known where to take me? More importantly, how had he _found _me? I glanced at him. He had gotten out of the car and was holding my door open for me, his hand outstretched to help me. I took it hesitantly. He was cold. Ice cold. I shivered, "Thank you,"

He nodded, and I saw Elizabeth and Kellan coming out of the restaurant. I turned to Demetri, wanting to probe him before he left. "How did you find me?" I asked quietly, so Liz wouldn't hear me. He glanced at me but didn't answer.

"_There_ you are!" Liz said, coming up to hug me. Kellan stood behind her, smiling in relief. "We were worried!" She glanced at Demetri, her eyes widening in awe. She even looked a bit speechless. Kellan was staring at him curiously.

"Victoria ran into me," Demetri said, his voice alluring, slipping over me like honey. I nodded, smiling, trying to confirm his story. I didn't want him to leave. I had to ask him things. "If you don't mind, I'll take her to dinner, and take her home."

That threw me off. I stared at him, surprised. I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't want dinner. Liz smiled, probably trying to hook us up in the back of her head. "That'd be great. Kellan and I already ate." She stared at me with an apology. "You'll meet us up tomorrow right?"

"I have to study..." I mumbled as she hugged me goodbye, giving me a face implying that I had to come tomorrow, or she'd get me herself. The two of them walked off, glancing back at Demetri and I curiously. I stared at their receding backs. Demetri cleared his throat, and I looked up. He was holding the restaurant door open for me. I sighed and shook thoughts from my head. He looked like the epitome of godliness, standing comfortably by the door in cultural Pisa. I blushed and walked in.

"Thanks," I said quietly, waiting until we were seated to bombard him with questions. A hostess seated us in a quiet booth in a corner. The restaurant was not very crowded, but very quiet. I stared quietly at the menu laid in front of me. Demetri was staring at me, his dark eyes boring into mine. I blushed. I didn't know how to begin.

"Why did you lie to her?" He asked suddenly, throwing me off my train of thought.

"I didn't lie," I said, pausing, "About what, anyways?"

"About you having to study tomorrow," he said. "Lawrence mentioned to me you were flying through all your work, almost done with all your summer courses."

"Well," I said nervously, "I didn't want to crash on her time with Kellan."

"That's kind of you," said Demetri, looking away from me. I tinged pink at the compliment.

"How so?" I asked. Demetri looked at the tiffany light fixture over us.

"To think of your friend's happiness," he said. I was surprised. He continued, "You'd rather choose a day of solitude."

"I don't have much of a social life," I admitted, shutting my eyes briefly. He looked at me curiously.

"How so?" he asked, his dark eyes boring into mine. There were shadows under his eyes, as if he was tired. But he seemed to have enough energy.

"Um," I searched for words, "I don't feel too comfortable around people anymore." I admitted.

"Anymore?" he said curiously. Thankfully, our waitress appeared, saving me from answering. She was an elderly lady, with a strong Italian accent.

"What would you like for drink?" she asked us both. I pitied her. Demetri looked at me.

"Water," I blurted out. She wrote it down, turning to Demetri.

"Two waters," he said to her. He turned back to look at me as she walked away. I cleared my throat to speak.

"How did you find me?" I asked him, mustering up the confidence. He turned to me and bore his dark red eyes into mine.

* * *

_Should I give up  
Or should I just keep chasin' pavements  
Even if it leads nowhere  
Or would it be a waste  
Even if I knew my place should I leave it there  
Should I give up  
Or should I just keep on chasin' pavements  
Should I just keep no chasin' pavements  
Ohh oh_

**Chasing Pavements **by **Adele**


	9. Boston

_In the light of the sun, is there anyone? Oh it has begun...  
Oh dear you look so lost, eyes are red and tears are shed,  
This world you must've crossed... you said..._

_You don't know me, you don't even care, oh yeah,  
She said  
You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains... oh yeah,_

_She said I think I'll go to Boston...  
I think I'll start a new life,  
I think I'll start it over, where no one knows my name,  
I'll get out of California, I'm tired of the weather,  
I think I'll get a lover and fly em out to Spain...  
I think I'll go to Boston,  
I think that I'm just tired  
I think I need a new town, to leave this all behind...  
I think I need a sunrise, I'm tired of the sunset,  
I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice... oh yeah,_

_Boston... where no one knows my name... yeah  
Where no one knows my name...  
Where no one knows my name...  
Yeah Boston...  
Where no one knows my name._

**Boston **by **Augustana**

* * *

_Saturday, June 11th, 9:12pm_

"Done?" He asked. I had, indeed, finished my plate of food. I must have been starving, I realized. I laid my fork down, and our waitress appeared as if on cue. He handed her a bill. "We're in a hurry, keep the bill," he said kindly. I supposed he too, felt bad for the elderly lady. She smiled at us both, and wished us a good evening. He held the door open for me, and I walked out. It was getting windy; nights in Italy were so blissful. I glanced at Demetri. _If only we were living the romance scene of Italy,_ I thought, blushing. I looked at Demetri, who was unlocking the Ferrari.

"Oh. Um," I began. "Thank you for everyth-"

"I'll take you home," he cut me off. There would be no sense in arguing with him when he was speaking with that tone, but my own car was parked in a garage four blocks away.

"No, no. It's okay," I said. "My car is parked four blocks away. I do need to get that home." Demetri shut his car door and thought for a moment.

"I'll drive you home in that then," he said, locking his car. I was surprised.

"Demetri!" I said, using his name for the first time and surprising us both. He looked at me, his expression again the same unreadable one. I paused, "Really, thank you. But how will you get this one home?" I asked. The corner of his mouth turned up in a broken smile, making my heart fall. Something must have shown on my face, because he frowned.

"I'll have someone bring it home for me," he said. "It's no big deal." He spoke in a consoling tone. I swallowed and had to agree. Could I say no to someone so beautiful who had just helped me? I nodded, and we walked silently together toward the garage. The silence was awkward, and I was afraid to speak. I still really wanted to know how he found me, and I knew he wouldn't tell me that. We got to the garage and approached my care.

"I'll drive," he said, decided. I nodded and handed him my car keys. Our hands touched for the slightest second, and I felt and electric chill pass through us both. We got in the car. The Memoirs of A Geisha soundtrack that had been playing on my way to Pisa turned on automatically. We sat silently as he weaved his way out of Pisa. I tried not to look out of the window. His fast driving was something I would never get used to. He turned down the volume on my stereo, and I stared at him questioningly. He spoke, "Tell me about your father."

"Oh," I sat up straight in my seat. "Well, he's always been a good man. He took care of Rehan and I the best he could. Always. He was," I struggled for the right words, "He was...heartbroken when Rehan died."

"Worse than you?" He asked, looking at me. "I can tell you worry about him a lot."

I nodded. "Sometimes I think I should have stayed in America and spent the summer with him," I said. "He's not alone. He's coaching a soccer team for the summer. But I don't know if that's enough."

"Why did you come to Italy this summer?" He asked softly. I inhaled air slowly, slowly searching for the right words.

"I wanted to see if I could find out any reason why Rehan would kill himself," I said finally, the words paining me. "We were very close. He was never suicidal. Ever."

Demetri looked at me, his unreadable expression creasing his pale forehead slightly. I turned my head and stared out the window, trying my best to barricade all my memories. The blur outside made me dizzy. I asked, "Have you _ever _gotten a speeding ticket?"

Demetri laughed. It was a pretty sound, like an angel laughing from atop a church tower. My mind slowly seemed to dissolve, syncing into his laughter. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, the corner of his mouth up in a broken smile. "Never."

I was surprised. I supposed the Italian police weren't very careful. "How long have you worked in the castle?"

"A while," he said carefully, "I have lost track of how long I have lived there." He glanced at me.

"How many people live there?" I asked.

"It varies...from time to time," he said, staring at the road. His tone was firm, and I decided not to ask anymore questions. He spoke again, "Why else did you come here?"

"Huh?" I looked at him, surprised he was bringing it up again.

"You could have searched for the reason Rehan killed himself long before. But you chose to do it almost four years later. Why?" He asked softly, glancing at me. I took a deep breath.

"I also wanted to get away for a little while," I said.

"Why?" he asked, staring at me.

"My dad," I searched for the right words, "Has always been very worried about me. So I wanted to take a load off of him."

He nodded, turning the steering wheel sharply. I looked out. We were at my apartment already. He parked in front of the building and got out of the car. He held the car door open for me.

"Thank you," I said. He handed me something else, something hard and cold. My cell phone. "Oh." I had forgotten about that. "Thank you."

He nodded, the corner of his mouth turning up in a broken smile again. He walked me inside, and up to my floor. I looked at him, in his eyes. "Thank you. Really. For everything." I had never been good with displaying my emotions.

"I owed Lawrence," he said slowly. I looked at him, wondering if that was all. _Stupid. Of course that's why he helped. No reason else. _

"Well, now _I _owe you," I said, "Your debt is paid. To him." He handed my my keys.

"Good night," he said, boring his eyes into mine for a second before he abruptly turned on his heel and walked away.

"Good night," I said softly, to his graceful figure glancing back for a moment to look at me before he disappeared in the elevator.

* * *

_Saturday, June 11th, 8:49pm_

"I was sightseeing in Pisa," he said, finally. Victoria's lip twitched, as if she didn't believe him, and a flash of sudden anger passed through Demetri's body. Why didn't she believe him?

"But that doesn't make sense. How did you find me?" she asked again. Demetri looked distractedly away in distaste; why was she being so difficult? He was here, wasn't he? Paying for _her _dinner? He'd just saved her life from Stefan, and she probably had no idea. _Why _couldn't she just be grateful and fawn over him, like every other human female would.

Demetri's lip twitched. He didn't want her to fawn over him; that would make her just like every other human. But _why _didn't he see her as every other human? Because of Allegra? He hoped that was why...

The waitress came over with two glasses of water, her dyed blonde hair spilling over her tightly clad torso. Her eyes lingered on Demetri before setting down the glasses. He still had his sunglasses on.

"What would you like to order?" She asked, pulling out her notepad again and glancing at Demetri first. He looked pointedly at Victoria. He wasn't going to order anything; if he shoved tasteless human food down his throat, it wouldn't do him any good. Aro was most definitely going to have his way; Victoria didn't have to be patronizingly kept from their secret for too long...

"Fettucini Alfredo," she said, hesitating, but for not too long. Demetri glanced at her quickly. Was that her favorite? It was unhealthy...did she have good metabolism?

...most importantly, why did he _care?_

She glanced across the table at Demetri while handing in her menu. He averted his gaze.

"Nothing for me," he said in Italian to the waitress, handing in his untouched menu. She nodded and left them in peace. Thank goodness, Demetri thought, that she didn't try to convince him to order. _Ah..._Demetri remembered, reaching into his pocket to pull out something he'd picked up earlier. _Her cellphone._

"Here," he held it out towards her. She glanced at it curiously, her blue eyes big and wary, and then recognized.

"Oh," Victoria said, surprised. She blinked, "Thanks,"

"You're welcome," he said, as she enclosed my fingers around it. Her hand trembled as she grasped it and put it away. _Of course..._it had been in his pocket all along, the phone must be _freezing._

"How did you find me?" She repeated, making the mistake of looking at him in the eye, again. Demetri bore into hers and sighed. She quickly broke his glance.

"You're safe. Isn't that enough for you?" Demetri said, annoyed.. "You were oddly lucky today." His voice was seductive, like warm dripping honey. _Please, _he thought, _please just be quiet and thankful that I saved _you-

"It's not enough," she answered impatiently, carefully keeping her eyes away from his, and taking a sip of my water. Demetri glared at her, aggravated. _Look at me,_ he thought. _Just look into my eyes an-_

"Is Lawrence telling you to keep tabs on me?" She interrupted his thoughts again.

Demetri sighed and ran a hand threw his hair, utterly vexed by her constant questions. Why had he followed her? Aro _hadn't_ specifically told him to... "Could you drop the subject?" He said impatiently, a tinge of anger in his voice.

Victoria's mouth shut, and her eyes had almost a hint of fear before she glanced down at the table. Demetri felt a twinge of guilt; he _had _been glaring at her rather fiercely. The waitress came over and silently put down the plate of pasta. Demetri pinched the bridge of his nose...trying to calm himself down. Why was he so angry? Oh, right. Because he had no idea what he was doing right now.

The waitress came over with a plate of pasta with a scent that chocked Demetri's nose. He watched as Victoria slowly unrolled her silverware, neatly placed her napkin in her lap, and started eating, fully aware of Demetri's eyes on her. She ate slowly, glancing up every few seconds at Demetri to see if he was still looking -- and then would glance back at her food. She said she hadn't had much of a social life...but she seemed amiable enough. What had happened?

"Is it because of your brother?" he asked suddenly, breaking the awkward silence. Victoria choked slightly on the bite of pasta she was chewing, and Demetri held back a smirk.

"Huh?" she said, picking up her napkin. He looked at her curiously, trying to discern her expression.

"Your social life. Were you so upset about your brother?" He asked again. She looked shocked. _Not expecting me to talk about him...I suppose._

"I-," she stuttered, pausing. "Yeah. Yes, that's why." She said, blinking her eyes, almost as if she was blinking back tears. He analyzed her every move with his superior vision. She was close to her brother, then? If his loss had made her shut up. Rehan had not mentioned her _at all _during his visit...

"You were close to him," Demetri said. It wasn't a question. Victoria nodded, still jabbing at her pasta and avoiding Demetri's gaze. He leaned back, and let her eat in silence.

* * *

_Saturday, June 11th, 9:48pm_

"Good night," he said, boring his eyes into mine for a second before he abruptly turned on his heel and walked away.

"Good night," Demetri heard Victoria say before walking inside her apartment. Demetri waited, tracking her in his head to make sure she was safely occupied with something in her apartment, and began to run.

The cold air whipped through his hair, blowing it behind him. He shut his eyes, thinking back to her soft voice as he had left her by the door. He smiled; he had her wrapped around his finger. Aro would be proud.

But a twinge of selfishness in him told him something else. He didn't _want _her to be so gullible.


	10. Bullets With Butterfly Wings

_The world is a vampire, sent to drain  
Secret destroyers, hold you up to the flames  
And what do I get, for my pain?  
Betrayed desires, and a piece of the game_

* * *

_Monday, June 13th, __4:12am_

I dreamt of two men sitting in a grand dining room, but with no food in front of them. They were talking in hushed tones. One of them was the man with the red scarf, wearing a dark gray cloak. The other was chalky pale, his black hair reaching his shoulders. He was wearing a black cloak. I couldn't understand most of what they were speaking, but one thing stuck in my head. The chalky, older looking vampire stood up.

"It's very difficult of a decision," he said, in a serious and sonorous voice. "Sometimes one would think --the Volturi being the finest vampires in the world-- things would come to us easily. I do wish my dear brother Caius would see straight." I gasped, but they didn't seem to hear me. The younger man nodded, and his started to change. I watched silently as his pale skin slightly darkened, his hair turned white, his muscular build a bit leaner. Morphing into my grandfather. Lawrence.

* * *

_Even though I know - I suppose I'll show  
All my cool and cold - like old job_

* * *

_Sunday, June 12th, __10:12pm_

I grabbed my iPod, pressed shuffle, and hit play.

The first song that came on: Rehan's favorite song. Bullet With Butterfly Wings. Memories flooded into my mind, of the day Dad had taken Rehan and I to a Smashing Pumpkins concert. A gift for our sixteenth birthday.

I blinked back tears, trying to swallow the beat.

_"The world is a vampire."_

I rolled off my bed. Vampires. Wasn't that what Rehan had said? In my dream, nights before. I had nothing to do today. I went to my table and grabbed my laptop, going on Google.

It felt like the right thing to do.

It was stupid, I knew, to be googling vampires, but what else could I do? Most of my dreams ended up being true anyways. I clicked search, but all that came up was stupid horror movie crap I didn't want to bother to sift through. I typed in Volterra, hoping I'd get some information about the castle. Most of the stuff was junk. Tourist agencies, hotels, and the like. I remembered what the shopkeeper at the bakery had told me. About Heidi. Her never changing appearance.

I typed in "Heidi Volterra" in google. Nothing came up, except for a tourist agency, which didn't help much. I then typed in "Volterra rumors." My mind was telling me it was stupid, and my logical side had to agree. I clicked on the news tab, the word vampires caught my eye. "_Woman claims vampires haunt the __castle__ of __Volterra__."_ I clicked on it, but the site had been deleted. I flicked back to Google, typing in "Volterra vampires." A bunch of sites came up, most of them to advertise spiritual psychics and stuff. I sifted to a bunch of things, nothing really plausible. Somethings, however, did catch my eye. "_Vampires are pale, and avoid sunlight. Their eyes are red after feeding and slowly darken with their hunger. They cannot digest human food."_ Wasn't that in my dream? Except Rehan didn't avoid sunlight, he shimmered in it. Red eyes. I remembered Afton, his bright red eyes. Felix too, had red eyes. Lawrence had told me that they did it for amusement. But now I doubted it was true. I typed in their various names in Google, but nothing came up. I would have thought a tourist agency like them would be all over the internet.

I tried searching "vampires" again. Could the residents of the castle be vampires? I didn't believe in the supernatural, but the more I saw things, the more it seemed believable. My conscience was condemning me, telling me I was stupid to do so, to keep searching. I clicked on a auspicious looking site. Vampires A-Z. Two quotes greeted me on the first page.

_"Throughout the vast shadowy world of ghosts and demons there is no figure so terrible, no figure so dreaded and abhorred, yet dight with such fearful fascination, as the vampire, who is himself neither ghost nor demon, but yet who partakes the dark natures and possesses the mysterious and terrible qualities of vampires." -_Rev Montague Summers

_"If there is in this world a well attested account, it is that of the vampires. Nothing is lacking: official reports, affadavits of well known people, of surgeons, of priests, of magistrates; the judicial proof is most complete. And with all that, who is there who believes in vampires?" -_Rousseau

The rest of the site was an alphabetized listing of all the different myths of vampires held throughout the world. I shuddered at most of the pictures. The first one I clicked on was _Ariana_, a beautiful unearthly vampire woman who cursed the Quileute tribe with transforming into werewolves by attacking their village. I looked for anything familiar, let alone believable. Most rumors seemed to try to explain the high death rates in Mexico and southern American during the 1800s. They centered around children as victims and beautiful women as demons. I clicked on many, but few interested me. _Stregoni Benefici: An Italian vampire said to be on the side of goodness, and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires. _That was the only positive information I found on a vampire. Many seemed to repeat the same thing. That they were ice cold, and had a lust for blood. One entry on the site even notioned that vampires had special abilities, apart from their impossible strength and speed. I shuddered. The more I searched, the more I could relate it to Demetri. I clicked on a familiar name. _Caius Cassius. _I had acted in a play of _Julius Caesar _for some company once, as Portia.

_Caius Cassius: As a human, he was the fiery tempered mastermind behind Julius Caesar's assasination, his presence even noted in Shakespeare's play _The Tragedy of Jullius Caesar. _Following Caesar's assasination, Cassius commited suicide. His body was lain by his supporters in Volterra, in a special castle previously owned by his family. However, shortly after his death, villagers and his supporters spread rumors, claiming Cassius was still alive. Men against him sought to cause mayhem, giving reports of seeing him at the village at night, feeding on the villagers. However, he soon disappeared. _

That was one piece of information I found about Volterra. I looked through a few more and mentally catalogued most of the recurring vampire traits. Speed, strength, beauty, pale skin, eyes that shift color, diamond cold skin, immortality, impeccable beauty, reaction to the sun...the more I read, the more it seemed to fit Demetri. Yet, everything was still so jumbled up in my head and hard to believe. The logical part of my mind kept telling me I was wrong, to stop being silly. But I knew I was on to something. Perhaps I wasn't exactly right, but I was on to something.

Aggravated, I finally shut all the windows and continued my online course work. Stupid me... I shouldn't be distracted that easily. I felt embarassed for distracting myself with folk legends.

But my thoughts kept drifting back to it, how much it matched with Demetri. I needed to take a break. I flopped over to my bed and lay down on my stomach, leaving my laptop on the sofa. All the furniture in my apartment came with it. I was only renting it out for the summer. I breathed in the clean smell of my sheets, thinking deeply. Lawrence didn't have pale skin, but everyone else in the castle did. They all _were _extraordinarily beautiful. I sifted through my thoughts. Rehan and I had always had exceptionally good memory. _Caius..._Hadn't Demetri once mentioned Caius once? When they were talking about the painting Felix had ripped...and Caius threw a fit. I sat up on my bed.

Logically, I knew this didn't make any sense. I felt childish inside. I _had _seen Demetri's eyes. They _were _dark red. I was sure of it. And if all this was true....was Stefan a vampire, too? I remembered him talking with Demetri...their angry, animal-like stances. It wasn't human, I knew. No human hissed like that. And Stefan's unnatural speed. What did that mean? What about when I had first met Felix? He'd said, while walking away with Demetri, "_Leave half for me,"_ I shuddered.

I remembered a story I had heard on the news a few years back. About a teenage boy who had killed his girlfriend's parents and started to drink their blood, thinking he was a vampire.

(A/N: True story, btw) That boy was locked up in an asylum. I remember thinking how messed he had been. Rehan had laughed, thinking it was all silly. My Dad had just stared off into the distance. If the residents of the castle really were vampires, had Rehan known when he came to see Lawrence? I lay back down on the bed and stared at the white-washed ceiling. I felt that I _was _right, and my intuition was normally correct. And my dream a few nights back...of Rehan's skin shining and he told me he was a vampire.

I got up off my bed. I needed to stop thinking. I was going crazy with all this vampire nonsense. I groped in my medicine cabinet looking for sleeping pills, and popped them into my mouth. Before I lost consciousness, I debated with myself. Should I ask Lawrence about it all tomorrow? Or keep quiet?

* * *

_Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage  
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage  
Then someone will say what is lost can never be saved  
Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage_

* * *

_Monday, June 13th, __6:12am_

The vampire theory was the first thing that came to my head when I woke up.

I shot out of bed, pulling my clothes on for the day and getting ready.

As I ate breakfast slowly, I shuddered, remembering my dream. It had seemed so real. Every detail of it stood out poignantly in my head. I could almost believe I had really seen it. I shook all these errant thoughts out of my head. It was stupid. I was going mental at the wrong time. I tossed my empty bowl of cereal into the sink and grabbed my bag. I'd go see Lawrence early and talk to him about the vampire crap, I decided.

As I drove to Volterra, this irrational fear inside me mounted even higher. I dreaded seeing Lawrence, fearing he'd morph into that man. The old architecture surrounding the highway made me feel even more like I was stuck in a vampire horror movie. I swerved into the parking garage, trying to shake off that weird feeling. _It's okay, __Victoria__. Everything is okay._

I slowly walked up one of the grandeur staircases on my way to the lab. I heard voices coming from down the hallway and froze. Two beautiful figures appeared. One was a man with brown hair that fell to his shoulders, who stared at me with curiousity but not hostility. Holding his hand was a beautiful and similarly pale and graceful brunette, who smiled at me. I felt safer, somehow, by looking at her. They seemed to be a couple. And vampires didn't fall in love, did they? They passed by me, but I heard a few more oncoming voices. Demetri and Felix. They were laughing -- a charming sound. I looked at their eyes. Bright red. Their eyes were bright red. My mouth opened in a silent gasp and my knees gave way. I stepped back to the cold marble wall and slid down. Demetri noticed me and looked at me curiously. I smiled weakly at him.

"Victoria...?" He asked, walking towards me, with Felix behind him. _He's not a vampire, Victoria. It's ridiculous. They're wearing those silly contacts like __Lawrence__ told you. _I stiffened as Demetri spoke again. "Are you alright?"

He suddenly shot out his hand and grabbed mine, trying to make me stand up. He was looking at me carefully. Ice cold. His hand was ice cold. And hard. Like his skin was something else. I saw a man appear behind them. The man with the red scarf. His red irises widened at me in shock. I gasped silently. He wasn't wearing his sunglasses this time, so I could see his facial features. My mother's. He had my mother's angelic features. So alike, he could have been my mother's father.

"Lawrence...?" I whispered, my voice shaking. In my peripheral vision, I could tell Demetri and Felix were looking at the two of use curiously.

He looked at me, and knew from my fearful expression that I knew. That I had found out.

My breath was coming in short, small puffs. This _was _my grandfather. The rumors were true. They _were _vampires. Blood thirsty _vampires._ Was it true? I tried to calm myself down. To breathe. _Breathe __Victoria__, slowly._ I tried to mentally relax my muscles, and cleared my throat. "You-, You _are_ Lawrence, aren't you?"

I broke off. From his expression, I couldn't tell if I was right or not. The man's red eyes were scaring me. He seemed to be thinking, pondering. He opened his mouth to speak, with the same air he had at the art fair, "Lawrence will be with you upstairs."

His voice was slightly seductive, persuasive. His eyes pleading me to believe him. I didn't. The man glanced at Demetri, who looked confused, back at him. I cleared my throat, gathering the last few dredges of my confidence. "So you're _not _going to turn into him, are you?"

"What does she mean?? What's wrong with her?" Demetri asked the man. He was probably asking why I was on the floor. The man (Lawrence?) looked at me, his expression unreadable.

"Oh," said Felix, realizing what I meant. Realization dawned on his face. It would have looked rather funny if I wasn't so scared.

"What?" Demetri asked Felix. It was rather funny, I almost smiled. You'd think Demetri would be the one who would know what was going on and tell Felix.

"So, I'm right," I asked tentatively. The man (Lawrence?) looked uncomfortable.

"Victoria...I do have a lot to explain to you," he said finally. I felt something cold in my hand. Demetri was grabbing my hand and pulling me up. I shivered uncomfortably, and Demetri looked at me curiously. The man(Lawrence?) spoke again, "Come."

He beckoned me to follow him, leaving Felix and Demetri behind. He led me to his study, and I timidly sat down.

"Who _is _my grandfather?" I asked, trying my best not to tear up. I normally cried when I was frustrated, which was a stupid habit of mine.

"I am, but listen to me carefully Victoria," the man said. Lawrence, I guessed. It was so odd. A man so young was my grandfather. He could pass as my brother. I nodded, listening patiently as he continued. "How much do you know?"

"I'm not sure of what I know..." I said. Lawrence said nothing, so I guessed I had to explain. "You are a...?"

"Vampire?" Lawrence suggested. I nodded. "How did you find that out?"

"Internet. And you haven't been too good at lying to me," I said with a weak smile. Lawrence sighed thoughtfully. Another thought crossed through my head. "Did Rehan know?"

Lawrence shook his head. I felt relieved. I spoke again, "How are you my grandfather?"

"I suppose I have to tell you everything," he said. He ran a hand through his black hair. "Where to begin...I was changed soon after I married Vittoria, your namesake and grandmother."

"How are you changed?" I interrupted.

"We are bitten, by another vampire. It is very uncommon, because there has to be blood left in the body after a human is bitten. Normally we can't stop ourselves when feeding," he paused and looked at me to see if I was frightened. I wasn't, he continued, "I was on a week trip to visit my parents in Livorno, when I was bitten. Our change is a three day long process, and very painful. I came back to my wife, who was sick at the time. She didn't notice how cold I was, and I had an unnatural resistance for her blood. I would feed almost every day before I came home from work so I wouldn't be attracted to hers. I tried to be as human as I could around her and..." his expression was painful, "She became pregnant with our child. It was only a month long pregnancy, and she died.

"Your mother was the most spectacular thing to me, the only one I had left. I can shape-shift, see, so I shifted and made myself slowly age. Your mother grew up to adulthood in only five years. However, when I sent her off to college --she was half-vampire, and had spectacular memory, so grade school was no problem-- I went to join the Volturi. Your mother fell in love with you father, Daniel, and I became a member of the Volturi guard. Your father was human, your mother half-vampire, and you and Rehan were soon born after their marriage. Meaning you are a quarter vampire. Something we have never seen before. Half-vampires are exceedingly common, and none of them have had children with a human."

"Why is mom comatose?" I asked. Forget the fact I was part vampire. It was too bizarre. Lawrence shrugged. "If I _am_ part vampire...how come I don't like blood? And I'm not extraordinarily beautiful, fast, smart, strong?"

"I suppose the genes die out in the third generation," Lawrence said. Okay, I tried to compose myself. Part vampire?! Me?! How come I didn't get any of the benefits?! Lawrence glance at the clock.

"And you...You have just eaten?" I asked.

"Yes. Heidi brings in tourists. It's the only way," he said, his eyes pleading me not to freak out. I remembered the day I was with the tourist group and shuddered. Were they about to eat me then?! Lawrence noticed my shudder. "I must speak to the masters about you."

"Why?!" I asked.

"The Volturi are the rulers over the other vampires. The law enforcers. The three masters ensure that humans do not find out about us. They have been asking about you, and they will decide what will be done," he said. I stood up in surprise.

"What do you mean "what will be done"? Nothings going to change, right? I can just continue med school and get on with my life?" I asked impetulantly. Lawrence shook his head.

"You might be able to. It all depends on the masters," he said. I sank back down into my chair. Stupid me. If only I hadn't come to Volterra...to find Lawrence...to do research. My train of derogatory thought toward myself was interrupted my the door opening.

"She knows?!" Demetri asked, almost yelling. I cringed, and he noticed, his eyes pooling with regret when he saw me. "Sorry," he said to me.

Lawrence nodded. "Demetri-- please take Victoria home. We must counsel with Aro."

Demetri nodded, and Lawrence looked at me. "You can trust Demetri," he said.

"I'm going home now? No work?" I asked, and Lawrence nodded. I followed Demetri out the door.

What had I gotten myself into?

* * *

_Tell me I'm the only one  
Tell me there's no other one  
Jesus was the only son for you_

* * *

_Monday, June 13th, __11:42pm_

"My dear Lawrence! You've brought her too meet me at last!" The man said like an excited grandfather, clapping his hands together and looking at the three of us excitedly. "And Demetri! You've done wonderfully yet again, my dear! And I do commend you for your control!" I glanced at Demetri out of the corner of my eye. He was silent, his face unmoved by the compliment. He was staring up at one of the men seated on the chairs. The other black haired one. Lawrence turned to me.

"Victoria, this is Aro," Lawrence said to me, smiling at me encouragingly. Aro's eyes were on me, looking at me very curiously.

"A pleasure to meet you, Victoria dear!" Aro said, smiling.

"Likewise," I said, smiling politely. I heard the doors behind me open, and I glanced back. Felix walked into the room, inconspicuously shutting the door behind him. I turned back to Aro, realizing no one else had turned back to see who was coming in. I supposed the two men still sitting were Marcus and Caius. But who were the women? Aro noticed me staring at the two figures, and spoke again.

"My brothers Marcus and Caius," Aro said, pointing to the respective ones. Marcus was the other black-haired one who sat in the center, and Caius was the white haired one on the right. Marcus looked utterly bored, but he was staring pointedly at Demetri, for some reason. Caius was glaring at Lawrence and I. "And my wife Sulpicia," Aro notioned to the pretty woman he had been sitting next to. She was old, but pretty and with a rather dull expression on her face. "And Caius's wife Athenodora," Aro pointed to the gray haired one by Caius. She seemed amiable enough, her face lit up with a smile. Much unlike her husband.

Speaking of which, did vampires get married? Have children?

"Tell me, child, how did you find out what we are?" Aro asked, his bright red eyes wide and curious.

* * *

_And I still believe that I cannot be saved  
And I still believe that I cannot be saved_

* * *

_-Twenty-two years ago-_

_Friday, June 5th, __8:23pm_

"I need your help," the blonde young woman in the doorway called out. A figure stirred in the front of the room.

"Yes, child?" The dark haired priest asked. Allegra walked nearer.

"I don't know if you can help me, but I need help," the woman said urgently. The priest stood up respectfully.

"God can always help, child."

"I need His help now, then," Allegra said, her agnostic childhood making her squirm in the room. "I just saw my father."

"Yes…?" The priest nodded, bidding her to go on. Allegra hesitated.

"I've never seen my father before. He left my mother before I was born. I only know what he looks like from pictures, and I know what he looks like _very well. _I'm not mad, but _I saw him today._"

"You could have seen an angel…" the priest trailed of, looking at her with confusion. Allegra adamantly shook her head.

"Do angels have red eyes?" Allegra asked. The priest's eyes widened, but Allegra took that as recognition.

"You know him? You do! Don't you?! _Take me to him._"

"Child, your father is dead."

"No he's not! _Tell me _where he is."

* * *

_And I still believe that I cannot be saved  
And I still believe that I cannot be saved_

**Bullet With Butterfly Wings **by **Smashing Pumpkins**


	11. Sorrow

_Sometimes life seems too quiet  
Into paralyzing silence  
Like the moonless dark  
Meant to make me strong_

_Familiar breath of my old lies  
Changed the color in my eyes  
Soon he will perforate the fabric of the peaceful by and by_

* * *

_Monday, June 13th, __9:56pm_

The scalding bath water had taken me a while to get used to. My apartment's heating system was either very good, or very bad. On the bright side, I couldn't take a cold shower ever again. No pun intended. Here in Cecina, the water was almost always hot. I was paying for my apartment's rent with the money I had garnered while I was at Princeton doing small odd jobs. It was a pretty good amount, the result of a lacking social life due to depression. Rehan's death had destroyed me, and I was now set out to fix it. My one close friends were Liz and the ones I rarely saw. Distance had made those few friendships stronger. Those friends were probably still with me because they hadn't seen the pain I had gone through at its fullest.

Demetri had driven me home in silence; I was too occupied in my thoughts to talk to him, and he probably didn't want to frighten me. He didn't even drive too fast this time. Odd as it was, it didn't bother me too much that they were vampires. They wouldn't hurt me, right? Lawrence said he would call me once the Volturi made their decision. The Volturi were the ruling vampires. It was past ten o'clock at night, and I still had heard nothing from them.

I stepped out of my bathtub and wrapped myself in my white bathrobe. It felt cold on my burning skin. The scalding water had caused so much moisture in the air, it felt thick and heavy, pressing down on me. As usual, I had forgotten to bring my pajamas, and I fumbled with the doorknob so I could go out to my closet. I opened the door, and felt the cold air rush in. I shivered pleasantly, and stepped out into my room. I had left the lights off, I didn't want to pay too much for my electricity bill. I had this odd feeling that I was being watched, as I stepped into my small dining area. I shivered unpleasantly this time, I was wearing only a bathrobe. I heard something move in the kitchen, and stubbed my toe on my chair, and fell down.

"Ow!" My bare leg was exposed in front of me. That hurt. I groped for the chair, to pull me up. A cold hand grabbed my shoulder, and another hand covered my mouth, breaking me scream.

"It's just me," Demetri hissed. Where did he come from? Oh, right. Vampire.

"Demetri!" I hissed back. I was only wearing a bathrobe. He pulled me up and was standing behind me. He twirled me around so I could face him. What the hell is he doing here? I need to change! "What are you doing here?!"

He disappeared into the further darkness, thankfully not turning on the lights. I didn't want him to see me --or me to see myself-- half-naked. Man, I hoped vampires couldn't see too well in the dark. I wrapped my bathrobe around me tighter. I heard him shuffling around my closet. He tossed me something warm and fabric. Clothes?

"Go change in the bathroom. The Volturi want you, now. I'll get the rest of your stuff," Demetri said, tossing things into something around my closet area. I wordlessly walked to the bathroom, blushing with embarassment. Things always got bad, didn't they?_ Stupid me. Stupid me. Stupid me. Stupid me. Stupid me. Stupid m-_

"Done?" Demetri knocked on my door, as I hurriedly pulled on the last article of clothing: my shirt. He'd even tossed me underwear, I realized, blushing. Really, why was I needed at eleven o'clock at night? I supposed the Volturi didn't like to sleep. I sure did, and they hadn't thought of that. I smoothed my clothes and opened the door. Demetri stepped into my bathroom with impeccable speed. I had to blink. He was tossing numerous things into my black duffel bag, which was almost already full. Why was he here? What the hell? Am I going to be gone for a long time?

"Um, what are you doing?" I asked, a bit too wary of his speedy movements. He zipped up my duffel bag and came out of the bathroom, shutting the light.

"They've ordered you to stay in the castle for now," Demetri said, handing me my cellphone and turning off my apartment light. My hair was still messy, wet, and tangled.

"What? Why?" I asked as I followed him out of my apartment. He locked my apartment door. How did he find my keys? They were in my jeans pocket? He was still holding my duffel bag and book bag on one shoulder. I followed him down the stairs to my car.

"I'll explain in the car," he yelled back at me.

"Demetri," I said. He opened the car door for me and I sat down. He tossed the two bags in the backseat and turned on the engine, not explaining anything yet. He was so used to my car already, I noted. Well, he was a vampire, I supposed. But where was his car? The nice, shiny Ferrari? "How did you get here?"

"I ran," he said smoothly. I blinked.

"You _ran_?!"

"Yes, vampires are incredibly fast. We don't get tired," he said with a smile, speeding the car away from my apartment building. That explained a lot of wheels screeched on the paved

roads as the car winded out of my small city of Cecina. But, he still hadn't told me why his masters needed me.

"Demetri?" I asked again. He glanced at me briefly, keeping his eyes on the road, his pale skin standing out in the dark night. It stunned me silent, for a moment.

"Yes?" He replied, prompting me and somewhat bringing me back to my senses.

"What have the masters decided?" I asked, the word "masters" rolling awkwardly off my tongue.

"Aro, Marcus, and Caius -- the three masters -- have decided to keep in the castle for now. So that you won't tell anyone," he explained, his dark red eyes incomprehensible. It would

take me a while to get used to those eyes. But keep in the castle? Why? I hadn't done anything wrong. If they were worried about me telling others about them, of course I wouldn't! Lawrence knew that.

"Your going to keep me hostage?" I asked a bit coldly and with surprise. Demetri looked at me, surprised at my words.

"No. We are pretty sure you won't tell...but the Volturi have enemies. Stefan is one of them. They would come after you, so it's best you are kept safe," he said quickly. Stefan? I shuddered, remebering the vampire who had come after me. Was he following me too? And why was he an enemy of the Volturi? From what I had gathered, the Volturi were a ruling family of some sort. I straightened up in my seat. Stuck in the castle?

"So, I'd have to quit my job?" I said resignedly. I was pretty sure my work was an hour away from Volterra. I wasn't going to waste gas. Gas was very expensive here, almost more than in America.

"Yes, but whatever money you need, Lawrence can easily supply it. We're immortal. Our money has been collecting for centuries," Demetri said with a grin. I rolled my eyes, and tried to straighten up in my seat. I stifled a yawn silently. Long showers made me really tired. I could hardly keep my eyes open in the dark car, except for my burning curiousity.

"Do you...like the masters?" I asked, with slight hesitation. The idea of calling anybody "master" seemed a bit demeaning to me, and would to anyone, wouldn't it?

"Yes," Demetri said quickly without hesitation. Almost as if the answer was automatic. "It's a privilege working for them. Most other vampires -- there are a number spread out around the world -- are very...uncivilized. We are perhaps the most civilized, and the largest group living together in harmony. It's not in our nature to live together. Vampires are normally nomads, traveling in groups of one or two. Three vampires together is even uncommon. There aren't too many vampires around the world."

"And...how...long am I going to stay in the castle?" I asked, remembering Liz's wedding. It was in about a month. Surely they would let me go by then, right? I _had _to go; Liz was my best friend. "For instance...I have a wedding to attend. Could I go for that?"

"Yes," Demetri said. "The masters are not unkind. I don't know how long they want to keep you there though." If the time they weren't going to keep me was unknown, when would I get home? I needed Dad, and sure as hell he needed me. He glanced at me. "What are you worried about?" He glanced at me.

"I-, I do need to get home by the end of this summer," I said. "I'm the only one my dad has left. I can't stay in Italy forever just because I found out something I wasn't supposed to!" I tried to blink back tears, and trying pointedly not to look at him.

"Like I said, the masters are not unkind," Demetri said, looking at me kindly. "You will be continuing your medical school with Lawrence, as usual."

I sat silently, pondering what was going to happen. The vampires wouldn't keep me forever. That's why I hadn't totally vacated my apartment, right? Most of my things were still there.

True, I had hardly brought anything to Cecina, but if I was going to stay with the Volturi for a long while, then they would tell me to contact my landlord. Or would they tell me to do that later?

But my mind drew on another subject. Wasn't it hard for vampires to control their thirst? How come Demetri could stand it so easily. He was almost always around me. Didn't he get thirsty? I cleared my throat. "Demetri?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever...." I couldn't bring to ask, for some reason, "Have you ever wanted...Aren't you ever thirsty around me?"

"Yes," he said, glancing at me to see my expression. I was okay, or at least my face was composed. "But I try to keep in my head that you are partially one of us. I try not to breathe around you or other humans. Vampires don't have to, but it's almost uncomfortable not to. Since we are so used to breathing. It also makes us seem more human."

"Ah," I said, looking forward, "okay." Demetri glanced at me, his black hair almost unnoticeable in the dark.

"You're upset," he noticed. I was. I didn't want to be stuck in a castle forever. I needed Dad, and Dad needed me. I tried to change the subject.

"How long have you been..." I asked, trying not to say "vampire."

"A vampire?" Demetri asked. I nodded. "Roughly seven hundred years." I blinked. I felt a mental blow to my head. Eight hundred years?! Eight hundred years...so he was born in the

1300s...

Seven hundred years?!

Demetri noticed my shocked expression and smiled.

"It's really not that old," he said, glancing at me. "The masters are about a fifteen hundred years old," he said, looking at me. My mouth dropped open. Demetri continued, "We are immortal. Frozen in time, really"

"So...you don't change?" I asked. "At all?" Demetri shook his head.

"Nope," he said, smiling at the shock on my face. I stared at his artfully chiseled face and body, his pale white skin and dark hair. That was six hundred years old?!

"Have you ever been to America?" I asked, instantly remembering the events of 1492. I was a history junkie. It was the year Christopher Columbus sailed to America.

"Yes," he said. I make out his smile in the dim night. His thin white hands flashed on the steering wheel.

"How can you always find me?" I asked. Demetri's smile slowly faded away.

"I'm a tracker," he said, glancing at me. Noticing my stumped expression, he continued. "I can catch the tenor of a certain person's mind, wherever they are, if I have met them before I

can find them," he said. "Some vampires --not all-- have certain talents like mine. One of the masters --Aro-- can wander into your mind through any physical contact."

"And Lawrence can shapeshift," I said.

"Yes," Demetri said.

"What were you when you were human?" I asked.

"My father was a Greek merchant who moved my family to Tuscany in the early 1400s," he said. "I, as his son, normally went with him on trading trips to many places around Europe. Ever

since I was young, he would send me to find people --clients, people who ripped him off, anyone my father wanted-- and I had a knack for normally finding them. Such a knack, that the

Church even wanted to hire me to help find anti-Christians. I was part of the Ven Priori, a group of spies, really, who would be paid to search and kill anyone's enemies. During my travels,

many times I came by Volterra. The Volturi, after seeing me for a while, saw my talent, and Aro thought it would be useful. And so then, I was changed into one of them, and I have been with the Volturi since."

"They changed you without permission?" I asked, looking at him carefully. He didn't have a choice, did he? Nowhere else to go but to the Volturi.

"Yes," Demetri said. "But I am very thankful that it was, indeed, the Volturi who changed me, and not someone else."

"But you didn't have a choice?" I said, my voice rising slightly.

"No," Demetri said. "I was upset at first, but I realized it was all for the best. The Volturi are a privileged group of vampires. When I was first changed, I refused to join the Volturi, and they let me go out on my own for a while, knowing well that I would return. I started to rove Italy, finding nothing but a few hostile vampires. It was a savage life, and I gained nothing, so I returned to the Volturi. The Volturi are the most civilized vampires. We are a patron of the arts. Every night when people are sleeping we gather to do the things that please us the most, whether it be music or painting."

I leaned back in my chair. The Volturi seemed a bit harsh to me. What were they going to do with me? I didn't think I would get away too easily. There had to be something more. Demetri didn't live with them out of free will. He sounded a bit too loyal. "Don't you ever miss being human?"

"Not really," Demetri said. "I can hardly remember it. The pain of being changed is the most clear memory I have."

"How are you changed?" I asked, my sleepiness wearing away slowly, with each question. Demetri didn't answer my question, his eyes too busy on the road.

"We're here," he said, swerving the car into the dark parking garage and clambering out of the car. I blinked, and he was by my door in a split second, opening it for me. I took his cold hand, blushing as he helped me out and thankful for the dark. He pulled me through the dark yard and to the castle's door, which opened almost abruptly. I jumped back, surprised at the sudden movement and squinting through the bright light that beamed through the open door. Lawrence was standing in the doorway, and he took my other hand as Demetri let me go, and pulled me inside the castle.

"You're late," Lawrence said to Demetri. I cringed, knowing it was my fault for taking a long shower. Had Demetri been waiting the whole time?

"She was talking a shower," Demetri said to Lawrence before I could open my mouth and say anything. I felt like such a useless human.

"Sorry," I said quickly, both to Lawrence and Demetri.

"It's alright," they both muttered simultaneously. Lawrence looked over me carefully, scrutinizing me in the bright lamplight.

"We are going to take you to see Aro, Marcus, and Caius right now," he said slowly. The words sank into me, not fully comprehended because I was still so sleepy. I nodded sleepily, stifling a yawn with the back of my hand. Damn, I needed coffee.

"Now?" I asked, blinking quickly to keep my eyes open. Now that I was in the bright light, I felt like a dead woman walking. Ha ha, a dead woman...I was part vampire, wasn't I? So...part dead?

"It'll be alright," Demetri said soothingly, making me feel even more sleepy. His brugundy eyes were warm. Somehow...his red eyes never seemed as scary as anyone else's...don't think like that Victoria, I reprimanded myself. Lawrence motioned for me to follow him and started to walk through the castle, but going down instead of up. The corridors we walked through were cold, and Demetri took off his gray cloak and handed it to me, to keep warm. I wrapped it around me, savoring his smell that had been left in it. Not too spicy, like cologne, but it still smelled rich and enticing. Demetri followed behind me as we traipsed throughout the castle, seeming to go underground with the steep corridors and through several basement doors. I slipped occasionally on the damp, cold floor in the dark corridors, and Demetri steadied me, catching my elbow and making me blush each time. Thank goodness for the dark.

Finally, after walking for about ten minutes or so, Lawrence entered a brightly lit room, lit by four torches sconced on the walls. Real torches, with burning fire and everything. The room seemed to be a lobby of entrance hall for the next room, and it was extremely cold. I shivered in Demetri's cloak, which had sustained me yet. The room was empty, apart from two figures standing at the left side of two heavy wooden oak doors, which it seemed we were going to enter through next. One of the figures was the same brown haired man I had seen yesterday, who glanced at me disapprovingly, perhaps annoyed that I was wrapped in Demetri's cloak. That man's cloak was gray, too, but the figure next to him --the extremely pretty brunette who held his hand-- was cloaked in a darker gray. Perhaps it was by rank or position that the cloaks were colored accordingly, I didn't know. The pretty brunette who held his hand really was beautiful. Her lustrous brown hair would have looked pallid on any other human girl, and her splendid figure was hidden under her dark gray cloak. It was a kind of beauty no one could ever forget. She could make any girl, at this moment me, feel so exceedingly inferior.

"Afton, Chelsea," Lawrence acknowledged the two, dipping his head. Chelsea and Afton were both looking at me curiously. Chelsea was smiling encouragingly at me, her red leyes glinting, but yet I felt happy. Happy to be here, and my sleepiness slowly seemed to fade away. Almost magically. Afton leaned over and opened the two dark, heavy oak doors for us with a clang, letting Lawrence in first. Demetri and I followed, me with new energy.

The room we entered in was brightly lit, with five chairs arranged in the center. On these chairs, three men --vampires, I realized-- sat in the center, and two women sat on the opposing sides. They were rather old, with chalky white skin, and old in physical appearance. One of the men had white hair, and the woman next to him had light hair infused with gray. All of them wore black cloaks. The man on the left --one with black hair to his shoulders, that almost seemed like the hood of his black cloak-- stood up, coming forward to Lawrence. I gasped, realizing where I had seen him before. He was the man I had seen in my dream, talking with Lawrence.

"My dear Lawrence! You've brought her too meet me at last!" The man said like an excited grandfather, clapping his hands together and looking at the three of us excitedly. "And Demetri! You've done wonderfully yet again, my dear! And I do commend you for your control!" I glanced at Demetri out of the corner of my eye. He was silent, his face unmoved by the compliment. He was staring up at one of the men seated on the chairs. The other black haired one. Lawrence turned to me.

"Victoria, this is Aro," Lawrence said to me, smiling at me encouragingly. Aro's eyes were on me, looking at me very curiously.

"A pleasure to meet you, Victoria dear!" Aro said, smiling.

"Likewise," I said, smiling politely. I heard the doors behind me open, and I glanced back. Felix walked into the room, inconspicuously shutting the door behind him. I turned back to Aro, realizing no one else had turned back to see who was coming in. I supposed the two men still sitting were Marcus and Caius. But who were the women? Aro noticed me staring at the two figures, and spoke again.

"My brothers Marcus and Caius," Aro said, pointing to the respective ones. Marcus was the other black-haired one who sat in the center, and Caius was the white haired one on the right. Marcus looked utterly bored, but he was staring pointedly at Demetri, for some reason. Caius was glaring at Lawrence and I. "And my wife Sulpicia," Aro notioned to the pretty woman he had been sitting next to. She was old, but pretty and with a rather dull expression on her face. "And Caius's wife Athenodora," Aro pointed to the gray haired one by Caius. She seemed amiable enough, her face lit up with a smile. Much unlike her husband.

Speaking of which, did vampires get married? Have children?

"Tell me, child, how did you find out what we are?" Aro asked, his bright red eyes wide and curious.

"Internet legends," I said. "You matched some of the descriptions. And I can't say you were very careful to reinforce the idea that you are human," I said, thinking of the number of times I had seen their bright red eyes.

"Ah, true, true," Aro said thoughtfully. "I wonder..." He eyed me carefully. I have a talent for looking inside people's heads. Do you mind?"

"No," I said, handing Aro my hand. He took it and shut his eyes.

"Ah, interesting," he said, still holding my hand, seeing into my mind. His eyes snapped open with impeccable speed, and I jumped. "Interesting, very interesting."

"What's interesting?" I asked, sliding my hand out of Aro's grip. I wondered what he had seen in my head. Not everything, I hoped.

"You haven't had any vampire-like moments in your life at all," Aro said, thoughtfully. "So you are definitely not a threat, then."

"Um, no I'm not," I said. Not that I would admit I was a threat if I really was, anyway. "I wouldn't tell anyone what I was. Or what you are," I said. Behind Aro, Caius was glaring at me. He didn't believe me, I guessed.

"My dear, there are not many like your mother," Aro said to me. Half-vampire, he meant. "And none at all like you. Your mother possessed almost all of the traits of a vampire, so it is extremely odd that you do not. You have no trace of our venom or any likeness, except that you look like your mother," Aro said thoughtfully. "It's strange."

"When will I be able to leave?" I asked. Aro snapped his attention back to me.

"My dear child! We have yet to make a decision. This is the most strange of sorts, but I do assure it will be soon! My brothers and I will do our best to think this through, you need not worry, my dear," he said kindly. "You will be able to attend your friend's mother's wedding, of course!" He said. I blinked. He must have found that out in my head. Aro turned to the two figures behind me. "Felix, Demetri, kindly take our young Miss Victoria up to her room, now."

Felix and Demetri both nodded, but Marcus stood up, raising a hand.

"Demetri, stay," Marcus said to Demetri. I felt confused. Why was Demetri needed? Was it because of me? I had gotten so used to him escorting me everywhere, I would have rathered he took me to my room. No other reason why I wanted him, I tried to enforce in my head.

"Ah, then Lawrence shall go instead?" Aro said. Perhaps they didn't want me to be uncomfortable going with Felix alone?

"No, we need Lawrence," Caius hissed. The wives sat silently, quiet as ever. Why would they need Lawrence?

"Good night, then, Victoria," said Aro to me, smiling and waving as I followed Felix out of the room. I glanced at Demetri as I walked out. He was pointedly not looking at me. Afton and Chelsea had both disappeared from the room, and Felix and I started to walk up to the ground level of the castle.

"Why do they need Demetri?" I asked, as I followed Felix's bulk up the stairs. Felix shrugged, moving many of his huge muscles as he did so.

"No idea," Felix said. "But you are the most interesting thing that's happened to the Volturi since the discovery of Bella's daughter," he chuckled. I did not inquire what, or who, he meant.

Felix walked me up to a cozy room somewhere on perhaps the second floor of the castle. My tiredness had slowly kicked in as I was walking up. We reached the room, and Felix opened the door.

"I will be standing guard for now, so you'll be okay. Need anything, knock on the door and yell it out. Or rather, don't yell. We have awesome hearing. And we'll get you breakfast. And...don't wander around the castle," Felix said. "Just, stay. In your room."

I smiled at his easy demeanor.

"Okay," I said, smiling. Felix left me in the room, and I plopped myself onto the bed and stared around. It was a beautiful room, perhaps the most beautiful I would ever be in. The high ceiling were so intricately decorated with baroque carvings and crown molding it seemed almost too rich. The furniture in the room was dark oak, and contrasted with the stone walls and floor. A intricately woven rug lay on the floor, in front of the fire place across from my king size bed. A tapestry hung on the wall to my right, and a two doors on the right wall led out to a balcony. I loved balconies. Under any other circumstances, I would have walked out and stared at the night sky, but I was too tired. I took off Demetri's cloak --regretting that I hadn't passed it back to him before I left the room downstairs-- and folded it neatly, setting it on the high backed armchair by the fire.

Exhausted, I spotted my duffel bag by the side of the bed. I zipped it open, and saw what Demetri had packed. All my clothes --even underwear, I realized, blushing-- were folded neatly inside. Along with toiletries, a pair of sandals, and other essential things. My book bag contained my wallet and textbooks, and everything was neatly organized in there. Vampires truly had amazing speed. I picked up my pajamas from my duffel bag and walked over to a door on the left wall that I guessed was the bathroom.

I was right. The bathroom was utterly pristine, like the one I had used when in the castle before. Everything was ivory colored limestone, and I set down my things in there. After changing, I reentered my room and crashed onto the king size bed. The room was lit only by the fire in the fireplace, and I couldn't remember if I tucked myself under the blankets before falling asleep.

* * *

_Sorrow lasts through this night  
I'll take this piece of you  
And hope for all eternity_

_For just one second I felt whole  
As you flew right through me_

_And we kiss each other one more time  
And sing this lie that's halfway mine  
The sword is slicing through the question  
So I won't be fooled by his angel light  
As you flew right through me_

_And up into the stars_

_Joy will come_

**Sorrow **by **Flyleaf**


	12. Gotta Be Somebody

_This time I wonder what it feels like  
To find the one in this life  
The one we all dream of  
But dreams just aren't enough  
So I´ll be waiting for the real thing.  
I'll know it by the feeling.  
The moment when we´re meeting  
will play out like a scene straight off the silver screen  
So I`ll be holdin' my own breath  
Right up to the end  
Until that moment when  
I find the one that I'll spend forever with_

_`Cause nobody wants to be the last one there.  
'Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares.  
Someone to love with my life in their hands.  
There`s gotta be somebody for me like that._

_`Cause nobody wants to do it on their own  
And everyone wants to know they´re not alone.  
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere.  
There`s gotta be somebody for me out there._

**Gotta be Somebody **by **Nickelback**

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_Tuesday, June 14th, __6:00am_

I was at a funeral.

Do you know those dreams where you you _know _you're dreaming, but it feels so real?

_I _knew I was dreaming, that I was stuck in this abstract vision where no one else could acknowledge my presence. I was standing in the middle of a graveyard, surrounded by somber and

sorrowful black-clad men and women. At _whose _funeral, I had no idea. None of the vampires --the _Volturi--_ were present.

It was just me.

Slowly --automatically-- my feet moved without command, closer to the polished wooden coffin placed in the place it would soon be buried. The green, wet grass brushed against my high heeled pumps as I slowly walked forward, peering into the coffin. My hands were trembling, and I had sudden chills pass through me, telling me to step back. To not come closer. To not see who it was. I peered past the many mourners and stumbled back.

It was my father. My father was dead. His pale face was stiff and peaceful, his seldom smooth forehead without creases. My mouth was open in a silent scream, and all sound and senses of mine had disappeared. All I saw was his face.

In my shock of seeing his still, never-to-move-again body, I hadn't noticed whom I had fallen back on. Demetri's mouth was at my ear, whispering soothing words that I couldn't hear. I couldn't even register how he had appeared. My knees gave way, and I slid onto the green, wet grass.

_Grass..._

My eyes flew open and all the senses came back to me. I was breathing heavily, the noise flying in and out of my ears. Habitually, I ran a hand through my tangled black hair. _What had happened? _Dad couldn't be dead, I knew that for sure. He _couldn't _be. My eyes scrolled around the ceiling. I was still in the room Felix had put me in two --or was it three?-- days ago.

From the night that I had been in here, I had seen no one. I had stayed in this room all by myself. There was a mini-fridge in the corner that someone had put while I was sleeping; it was stuffed with sandwiches, pastries, and all sorts of healthy things. To my dismay, there was no coffee. I supposed the Volturi had wanted me to sleep. All I had done the past few days was surf the internet on my laptop and finish up some more coursework for med school. Yesterday, at around night fall, I had heard faint sounds of horrible screaming. The most horrible screaming.

Of people at their life's end.

It had given me chills. I couldn't believe it at first; I had though I was hearing things. I had shoved my earplugs into my ears and turned on my iPod all the way up, something I seldom listened to since Rehan had died. Rehan and I had loved music. I shook thoughts of him out of my head as I got out of bed, marveling how easy it was for me to now think of him. I wondered how it was. It certainly wasn't because Dad was occupying my thoughts; I had been away from Dad much longer than this when Rehan was alive. Studying abroad in Florence,

Italy.

I wiped stray tears from my eyes, trying not to think about my dream. If Dad died, I would be all alone. He was everything I had. _Everything._

My cell phone was sitting on the table beside my bed; I had a text message from my father overnight. I breathed a sigh of relief, happy that he was okay. I'd still call him later; my dream was making me paranoid. Apparently the Volturi let me keep contact with the outside world, cause I still had my cell phone.

I hastily used the bathroom, hardly brushing my hair. I was hungry, even though it was six A.M. in the morning and the sun was barely pouring in through the curtains hiding the spacious balcony. I came out of the bathroom, walking over to my phone to check the time again. There was a clock on the wall, but it took too long to read it. It wasn't digital.

_Someone's here..._

The thought flashed through my head involuntarily. I glanced around the room quickly, before realizing it was probably just my paranoid self telling me new, strange things. But I had that tingly feeling I was being watched. No, not that I was being watched, that someone was coming. Were the Volturi coming? I walked over to the fridge, slowly pausing every step or so to glance around me quickly.

_Pah...__Victoria__. Stop being paranoid._ I opened the mini fridge and pulled out a bagel that I had already spread cream cheese on in my boredom the day before. I supposed the Volturi had no purpose for me being here, or they had just forgotten about me. Glancing behind me one more time, I went and sat down on the armchair by the fireplace. The fire was still burning, and it was kind of soothing to have it there.

I put my plate on my lap and slowly chewed my bagel, staring at the twisting shapes in the fireplace. Precariously, I leaned over and picked up the battered copy of _Mansfield__Park_ I had found on the bookcase set into the while by the fireplace. Jane Austen never was one of my authors, regardless for my proclivity for old literature. She seemed a bit...dull. The only victorian romance novel I honestly took a liking to was _Wuthering__Heights__. _After finishing my bagel I put the book aside and got up to put my paper plate away, throwing it in the trash can (a rather fancy trash can). I looked behind me and started, my heart skipping a beat.

"Demetri?" I blurted without thinking. Demetri was sitting on the chair I had just been on, smiling smugly as if he had been there all along. Seeing him sit there on that high backed chair, I realized he really was very tall. Well, compared to my 5' 4". Oddly enough, his presence seemed almost comforting. "So _you've _been here all along?"

"What makes you think I haven't been sitting here the whole time?" He asked, his eyes teasing. I felt my face turn warm.

"Because I was just sitting there, and I had a feeling someone else was coming," I said, looking around the room to wonder where he could have been.

"You couldn't have heard me come?" Demetri said as I sat down on the arm chair across from him, wrapping my arms around my folded legs.

"Um...no, but I had this odd feeling...that I do get sometimes..." I said, trailing off. I wasn't making any sense. He wouldn't be interested in what I was saying. Nevertheless he stared at me intently.

"I hope you're comfortable here," he said politely. About everything he did or said was very polite. His deep, brownish-red eyes bore into mine.

"Oh, of course," I said, looking away and trying not to lose myself. I was making a fool out of myself in front of him, I knew. Hurriedly --and for some unknown reason-- I quickly searched for something to say.

"You're very polite," I blurted out without thinking. I mentally slapped myself. What an idiotic thing to say. However, Demetri just smiled.

"I was raised that way," Demetri said, looking away. "It helps when working with the Volturi, too."

"How?" I asked, curiously. Demetri laughed; a deep, beautiful sound.

"Hmmmm," Demetri said, the corner of his mouth up in a smile as he looked at me. "Some members of the Volturi are not...quite nice at some moments. But don't repeat that," he said, laughing again. I smiled, but more for the reason that he was telling me something that he didn't want anyone else to know. I loosened my grip over my legs and let them relax, hanging down from the chair. Speaking of the Volturi, had they decided anything.

"Demetri?" I asked. His head perked up as he bore his eyes into mine again, causing me to skip a few breaths. "Have Aro, Marcus, and Caius decided anything yet?" Demetri paused for a moment, before answering.

"No," he said. His tone sounded uncertain. "They're still trying to find the best solution." I shifted my feet, knowing that he was keeping something from me.

"What have they considered?" I asked. Demetri hesitated before speaking again.

"Well...it's of no importance," Demetri said, "I haven't heard much."

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" I asked, realizing his reluctance to say anything.

"No," he said, his sculpted lips turning up in a corner, "I can't." I didn't question any further. I still thought it odd that he was so devoted to his _masters. _Aro seemed so fickle, the best actor of them all. His happiness seemed a cover for his true intentions. I had met many like him. Humans, though. Demetri glanced at me again, turning his head with vampire speed, making me jump. "Would you like to see the castle?"

"Yeah," I said, my eyes brightening. I didn't realize I was free to roam around? Why was he telling me now? I stood up, "Could I?" Demetri laughed, making my heart flutter for a few seconds.

"Of _course _you could. I'm offering," he said lightly, his handsome face lit up with a rare smile. Demetri seemed to be in the best of moods today. I wanted to ask him about the screaming I

heard last night, but I didn't want anything remotely negative to ruin his happiness. His expression turned serious, "But don't ever go around when I'm not there."

"Alright," I said, happily agreeing. I didn't want to roam around a castle filled with vampires, anyway. Demetri smiled back at me, getting up. Something fell from his lap, and he quickly

grabbed it. I flinched at his extreme speed.

"Sorry," he said apologetically for his fast movements. "I forget you're not used to our fast movements." He handed me what he was holding. It was something stiff and satin-ish to the touch. Fabric? "It's cold in the castle." I unfolded the silky, yet stiff, fabric. It was a violet colored jacket. Custom-made, it seemed, too. I _loved _violet.

"Oh!" I said, surprised. It was a _nice _jacket. Versace. It felt odd for me to have something like that. Most of my clothes were from Urban Outfitters and Forever XXI. Money was something

I never really had. I usually spent it on Dad's medical bills... "Oh, thank you!" I said, quickly putting it on (as not to seem rude by looking over it too much). "You didn't have to." Demetri smiled again.

"Of course I had to," Demetri said. "I wouldn't have you freeze to death."

"I may be human, but I'm not that frail," I said, smiling as I followed him out of the room. My room was located at the end of a dim corridor, and I followed him out of the dark hallway to an open, airy sitting room of some sort located off another hallway. We didn't stop to sit down however.

"What would you like to see?" Demetri asked, glancing over his shoulder to look back at me. Damn, he was so polite. Blake had never acted like him. I shrugged, loving the silky feel of my jacket.

"I don't know..." I said, "What's your favorite place here?" I asked, running up to meet Demetri's fast pace. He slowed down a bit, noticing me.

"The library," he said. "But that's very everyone else is right now. I'll take you outside. Humans need fresh air, don't they?" Demetri said, stopping in front some narrow stairs and waiting for me to step up first.

"I suppose," I said, reaching the landing, waiting for Demetri to come up. He jumped up the last five steps. I stuffed my hands in the jacket's pockets, smiling uncontrollably. Demetri's face, too, was lit up in a smile. "You're happy today," I noticed.

"Hmmmm...," Demetri said, not exactly answering me. His lips were pursed. He walked me up through a different hallway. I wondered if I had said something wrong. He glanced at me again,

"Do you want to take the scenic way to the courtyard?"

"Sure," I said. I hadn't been paying much attention to the art of the Palazzo **(A/N: I did some poking around on the internet. Palazzo dei Priori is the name of the castle in Volterra)**. I had been paying more attention to Demetri. But now, I glanced around the stone walls. Old stone family crests, numerous small frescos, and all sorts of old metal crosses adorned the castle walls. There was an aura of creepiness in the castle. It seemed like an old stone cage, with many tints of warm and cozy browns that alleviated the creepy feeling. It was a place fit for vampires, no doubt. Demetri led me through a huge hall, and my eyes zeroed in to a fresco over a set of doors. A colorful painting of four saints, sitting on ostentatious thrones, adorned the wall.

"Jacopo di Cione and Nicolò di Pietro Gerini," Demetri said, noticing me looking at the fresco. "1383."

"Were you there when the painted it?" I asked. "You were part of the Volturi then, weren't you?" I asked.

"Yes," Demetri said. "I was. I watched them paint it slowly, every day. They did it as a favor for Caius. Caius had ordered the killing of their enemies."

"Did they know what you were?" I asked. Demetri nodded his beautiful head.

"Yes," he said. "It was the 1300s. People believed in vampires. Back then, sparse few communicated with vampires. The few who did were mainly artists and intellectuals who used

vampires' knowledge and sharp thinking to benefit them," he said. "Leonardo da Vinci once walked these halls too, once."

"You _met _da Vinci?" I asked, my mouth open in surprise. Demetri laughed.

"I helped teach him when he was a child," he said. "Some parents, back then, sent their children to vampires to study. In return, we got their family treasures. It's how most of the families back then lost their money. We have trained numerous princes and kings of Europe. As long as they kept our existence a secret."

"Do you still teach them then?" I asked Demetri. Surely not, of course. More questions popped into my head. Did the Mafia know about the Volturi? What about the U.S. government? I knew the C.I.A. didn't know; I had interned with them for a summer.

"No..." Demetri said slowly. "There was...an incident. Then on...we stopped involvment with humans. There are no more humans that know about vampires."

"How so?" I asked. I could only guess the worst about the incident he mentioned, and didn't pry on that. "How did the humans start to believe in vampire as a myth?" Demetri looked away.

"The few at that time who had met vampires were all killed," he said, almost somberly. "Some adamant humans --who had not seen vampires, but believed they existed--- used to lead hunts out to kill the vampires. That's when one of our members --Corin-- became useful then. His talent is to draw away people, mentally."

I wondered if Demetri was sent to hunt down all the humans who knew of the Volturi's existence.

"Shall we move on?" Demetri asked. I nodded, and followed him through the doors under the fresco. We headed silently through some less ostentatious hallways, and I kept my eyes on the expensive rugs that carpeted the floor. I was glad I had my jacket, cause it was _really _cold. Soon, we reached a small inlet by the hallway. Demetri opened the ornate ebony gate and

I squinted to see the courtyard behind it. As I stepped out I shrugged off my jacket, it was warm outside. The courtyard was green, and well landscaped. Hibiscus flowers grew at the edges of the green field, and I went in sat down on one of the gray stone benches, my mouth open.

"Like it?" Demetri asked, standing by the gate.

"It's pretty," I said sincerely, settling down on the cold stone. The sun felt harmonious on my pale skin, and I smiled and shut my eyes. Demetri still stood under the shadows by the gate. Did vampires get burned in the sun? I _had _never seen Demetri in direct sunlight before. I opened my eyes and looked at Demetri, who looked as if he was battling something inside him. "Do you get burned by the sun?"

Demetri's head snapped up and he looked at me and smiled, making me lose possession of my worldly feelings for a second.

"Myth," he said, before stepping into the direct sunlight.


	13. Resistance

Don't hate me, but the original Only for You will be up on **.com** in a few weeks!

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Review Replies...since I can't remember what I've said. Scroll down to the story if you don't care about review replies, but I do reveal spoilers in replies.

_Arlen: No, because I like your original story more than the test chapter. That doesn't mean that the test chapter isn't good, it is indeed. But the original story is more interesting in the way of describing Demetri and the others. I really like the story so please continue! _**I'm sorry I changed it! I am posting the original story and yet-unrevealed chapters to it on .com. There's about 17 chapters to the original Only for You.**

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_DragonQueen03: yes i like it very much, _**Thanks :) If you want the original story and unrevealed chapters to that, its on .com**

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_myxdearestxapollo: i like your story, it's a really good idea but Victoria is borderline Mary Sue in many instances. She seems kind of undeveloped and sometimes her character traits don't make sense. I think it was the broadway thing that got to me. People don't just perform on broadway on a whim for a summer, and the way Victoria casually described the ordeal made it ridiculously unrealistic. Or the fact that she is in her early twenties and has majored/minored in like everything on the planet. I'm not trying to hurt feelings, I swear I really like this story but these little details just irk me and I just want to be honest._ **I agree! I remember I typed you up a response --which I can't really remember what I said in it-- and you replied :) Thanks for the advice, I wasn't aware that she was a borderline Mary Sue, and I plan to be fixing that up after this chapter!**

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_Willow-Ivy23: I love what you have so far. I hope you update soon. _**Thanks :] The original is available at .com**

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_twilightno1fan2009: i dont really understand this?? _**Sorry! Books are generally confusing, so I was trying to make this confusing. The original Only for You will be available on .com by January 24th (I'm taking the SAT...I gotta study before then!).**

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_Infinite101: This fic is amazing =] It's wondefully written, i just started reading it todays and was totally hooked, I prefer the original to the new 1st chapter, will you be updating soon? I can't wait to find out what happens next. _**Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it! The original Only for You will be available on .com by January 24th!**

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_Helen: Dude your story is awesome the way it is! Don't change it! And update more often I love it! Victoria totally reminds me of me with the whole losing cellphone thing lol. Always happens with me and its usually in my bag and if not I usually get myself into trouble finding it lol. But I have one slight problem with it: When in God's name are Victoria and Demetri hooking up? Like give me a kiss at least! Well unless my assumptions are true and Demetri is actually Rehan. Is he? If that is so no kissing or anything beyond that then! We don't want incest. :D _**Thanks :) I'm sorry I changed it! I hope you keep reading this tweaked one, though! Haha don't worry, Victoria gets with Demetri at around...chapter 19 or so, I know I'm dragging it out. Oh no! Demetri isn't really Rehan...Rehan's alive, living with the Cullens. All will be explained soon :)**

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SoCal1Country3Gal: okay well first let me start off by saying that i cannot wait for your next update be ause i seriously love this story, its brilliant. i do belive the volturi isnt evil and i love demetri. but the way you set it up as a edward and bella thing(exculing e/b) makes it want me to read it more and tell my friends and fans who are loving twilight fanfics to read this. i havent had a chance to read chpt12 because i am going to be late for work, but i just felt obligated to review. i know how you feel when you have tons of hits or marked as favs or even story alerts, but its like they dont have time to review. sorry if i rambled i tend to do that, i cant wait for the next update. xoxo samantha. _**Aw thanks :) That makes me feel a lot better, but you don't think the Volturi are evil? I love Demetri too! I hope you continue to read this version of the story!**

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_Is your secret safe tonight?  
And are we out of sight?  
Or will our world come tumbling down?_

Will they find our hiding place?  
Is this our last embrace?  
Or will the walls start caving in?

Love is our resistance  
They keep us apart and they won't stop breaking us down  
And hold me, our lips must always be sealed  


* * *

_Tuesday, June 14th, __9:06am_

"Myth," he said, before stepping into the direct sunlight. I gasped, but not in fear, at his skin. His skin seemed to be glowing. No, not glowing, I realized, blinking my eyes. His body seemed to be entirely diamond stone; his skin glittering as if white Swarovski crystals were faceted in every minuscule pore. No wonder his skin felt so hard. He looked as he was made of _rock._ Every inch of Demetri's skin was glittering, his dark clothes marring and dulling the effect. Demetri smiled at me; no doubt my mouth was open in surprise.

"We don't go out often. Only for patrol, really, mainly at night. We always have to stay away from direct sunlight, so the humans won't be thrown off," Demetri explained. I nodded, not able to say much and just staring at his skin. Demetri looked at me curiously and drew back into the shadows. "It doesn't frighten you, does it?"

"No, no, of course not!" I said, flustered and embarassed he backed up because of me. "You can come back in the sunlight! I was just wondering...," I paused, unsure if I should ask, "Did my mother have the same reaction to the sun...'cause she was half human?" Demetri paused before answering.

"Yes," Demetri said, "All half humans have the same reaction to sunlight as we do. Have the same thirst for blood, even though they can eat human food."

"You've met my mother, haven't you?" I asked. I had asked him before, I remembered. But he hadn't said much. I wondered why. Demetri merely nodded, still keeping his distance --even though he stepped a bit into the sun. "What did you think of her?" I asked. Demetri hesitated, before swiftly coming towards me and sitting next by me on the opposite side of the bench, still keeping his distance. I cringed without thinking as he swiftly sat by me, and sat back up as soon as I realized. I hoped --in vain, for Demetri's peripheral vision must have caught it-- that he hadn't noticed.

"I met your mother," Demetri said, "Very briefly. Most of the time she spent with the other members of the Volturi, not I," he said. His words came out slowly, as if he was unsure of what to say exactly, making my curiosity deeper.

"But what did you think of her?" I persisted curiously. Demetri put a pale hand to the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"She was a very lively person," Demetri turned to me and looked at me in the eye. He had shadows under his eyes, I noticed, as if he hadn't gotten enough sleep. "Lively, and very caring. A self-possessed and level headed person," he said. I looked down at the green grassy floor, tracing my foot in an abstract trail over the grass.

"When did you see her?" I asked.

"Before she married your father," Demetri said, "Around the time Lawrence came to live with the Volturi. I'm sure you have noticed Lawrence does not wear the cloaks that the rest of the Volturi do most of the time. He is not exactly part of the Volturi, but lives beside us and offers assistance occasionally." Demetri stood up quickly, causing me to flinch. "Sorry!" He said, his face worried at my reaction. I smiled back at him.

"It's alright. I'll get used to it in time," I said. Demetri looked away, into the distance, and I glanced around the courtyard. The green grass that brushed against the brown stone walls seemed so lively. I was now realizing how everything in the castle --the Volturi-- seemed so dead. And they were dead, of course. Undead. But why? Had they always been so? How could they find enjoyment in working here. So mellow and solemn. I tried to brush that thought from my head, and glanced at Demetri, who was now staring at me intently. I looked away when I noticed, but he reached out and gently held up my face towards him. My face turned warm at his cold touch.

"There was one vampire," he began, removing his hand. "We know briefly. Edward." I blinked, waiting for more as he paused. "He fell in love with a plain, normal girl named Bella." _Plain? _Vampires weren't plain and normal.

"A human?" I asked. Demetri nodded.

"It was involuntarily so," he said, "She created a small fiasco for the Volturi. Edward is gifted, see, and the Volturi have always kept a place open for him. Once, however, there was a mishap and Edward found out that Bella had died."

I was silent. I knew what that probably meant. Edward had killed Bella, hadn't he?

"No, he hadn't killed Bella," Demetri said, "He thought she had committed suicide. See, she loved him too, and she thought he had left him. There was a mishap and Edward thought she committed suicide without him. So then, he came to the Volturi, seeking to die. We refused of course, and the human --Bella-- came here to Volterra to tell him she was not dead.

"I saw her --Bella-- with him. They held something unmistakable between them. It puzzled all of us. All of the Volturi. _How _such an affair could happen. But it did, and it worked. They got married. Bore a half-human child named Renesmee. Bella became a vampire. They all live happily in the U.S. now."

"I thought half-human children weren't allowed," I pondered softly. That was what Lawrence had said. That vampires were now forbidden to marry a human. It was the Volturi that put down the law, wasn't it? The Volturi were why my mother was comatose, so she wouldn't be destroyed. Something like that. I was confused. Demetri slowly traced the carvings on the stone bench, his hand slowly coming closer to me. I blushed, realizing how close he was. But I couldn't think like this. No matter who my mother was, I had the qualities of a human.

"I never understood _how,_" Demetri's voice was almost mournful, solemn as he stared at the stone bench. "How it could have happened. What Edward found so _pleasing _in a human," Demetri said slowly. He sounded as if he was battling something inside him.

But what? I tried not to think of stray things Demetri could be referring to. Like him and I. There was nothing here. He sat there, in front of me, with his head down, contemplating, for a few more moments.

Suddenly, his head snapped up and I jumped. His face broke out into a sudden smile.

"There _is _something you might want to see, however," he said, suddenly standing up, his voice no longer somber and contemplative.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Come," he beckoned to me, leading me to the gray slab of stone set in the middle of the courtyard. He bent over and slid it aside, revealing a dark abyss underneath. "Ah..."

"What?" I asked.

"How afraid are you of heights?" Demetri asked, standing over the hole. I could faintly see a tiled floor under it. The basement floor beneath, us perhaps?

"Um...a bit. But not very," I said uncertainly. I hated roller coasters, but loved hiking up mountains. Did that make sense?

"I'm going to jump down there, and I'll catch you," Demetri said, his voice right behind me. I didn't turn my head for fear we'd be nose to nose. I nodded uncertainly, and Demetri stepped into the dark hole and disappeared. I kneeled down and clutched the edge of the hole.

"Demetri..." I asked.

"I'm right here," his voice came up from inside. It didn't seem too far down. "Jump. I _will _catch you. We have excellent spontaneity and strength, don't worry." His calm, soothing voice was everything I needed to be assured. Tenderly, I swung my leg over and dropped myself down, landing in Demetri's arms, blushing. He caught me quickly and set me on the floor gently, quickly.

"You alright?" He asked. I was glad it was dark and he couldn't see my blushing face. Even though...perhaps he could tell I was red by other means. I started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I whispered. This entire escapade reminded me of that movie _The Phantom of the Opera._ With I as Christina and Demetri as the astoundingly handsome Phantom. Funny, he _did _bear a slight resemblance to Gerard Butler. But I quickly cast aside the thought. This was nothing like the Phantom of the Opera. I took Demetri's offered hand and stood up. The corridor was hardly lit, with a light shining at the end somewhere. "Do you have night vision?"

"Yes," Demetri said, still holding my hand as he guided me through it, turning onto another path. His hand was cold, hard. Like touching a stone. I knew he was only holding it to guide me because I was pathetically human. Silly, wasn't it? _I _was feeling odd for being human. What irony. I looked around the stone hallway, even though I should probably be looking in front of me. The brownish stone was _just _like Andrew Lloyd's adaptation of the film. _The Phantom of the Opera _was my favorite movie.

How lucky I was that Demetri couldn't read minds.

Demetri stopped in front of a door and swung it open. He took a match from somewhere and suddenly the fireplace roared with flames. It was a cozy room, large with a piano at the far end, next to a cozy looking bed. The fireplace was surrounded by high backed, antique armchairs. The long wall opposite the door was a huge bookshelf, filled with endless shelves of books, with CDs stuck in at the side of the piano. A violin rested against the expensive-looking bookshelf. It was so harmonious. Demetri walked over to the piano and picked something up off of the bench, beckoning me to come.

"Is this your room?" I asked, walking over.

"Yes," said Demetri, still standing, "Sit down." I sat down on the bed and sank into it. Wow, it was so comfortable.

"Ah," I said, leaning back against one of the four bed posts. "You must sleep so_ well _here." Demetri laughed, holding what I realized was a book in his hands.

"Vampires don't sleep," he said, sitting down next to me on the bed.

"You don't?" I asked incredulously. Demetri shook his head.

"I haven't slept since November of 1333," Demetri said. I wondered why he had the bed in his room. But...I didn't ask. He opened the book and handed it to me, which I realized was not a book but really an album. "I wanted to show you this. I had found it lying around a few years ago, so I supposed Lawrence didn't mind if I showed it to you, since he doesn't keep it." I turned the page. It was an album. Filled with pictures of my mother. I smiled. There was my mother as a baby in 2000. Then...as a toddler two months later?

"As it seems, half vampires grow faster than other humans. They are fully grown in five years, instead of eighteen," Demetri explained, seeing me stare at it confusingly. He drew to the other side of the bed to give me privacy. I nodded and looked back at the faded pictures. There was my mother with a smiling Amelia. I felt sad, as I realized Amelia had brought up her brother's child, just like she had brought up Rehan and I. A smiling Amelia, with her husband before he died. There was a picture of my mother at his funeral. I flipped the pages, thumbing through my mother's captured life. She, too, had done some small-scale acting in New York City. I turned to the last page. A picture of her with my father. Below that, a picture of her with two newly born twins. Rehan and me. My eyes felt slightly wet, and I quickly shut the book, handing it back to Demetri.

"Thank you," I said to him, "Thank you so much." I always had trouble displaying my emotions. Demetri smiled, not moving.

"It's yours to keep," he said. "It was never mine, and Lawrence hasn't touched it in twenty years or so," Demetri said.

"Oh," I said. I didn't want to keep it. What if Lawrence wanted it? "Thank you for finding it."

"No problem," he said, looking up at the ceiling, preoccupied. "Shortly, Lawrence will be coming to your room now. I have to get you back."

"Oh," I said, reluctantly standing up. The bed was so comfy. I could lie here all day...but that would be wrong. "How can you tell?"

"I can tell that he's walking up to your room from a few floors below us. Perhaps the Volturi have made their decision," he said.

"How are we going to get up?" I asked, remembering how we jumped down.

"Yes," Demetri said, a smile playing on his lips. "We'll take a detour."

"Alright," I said, following him as we headed out of the room and he took my hand again to lead me through the dark hallway.

"Demetri?" I asked him when we were halfway up to my room, his hand slipping away from mine as we weren't in the dark anymore.

"Hm?"

"How old were you when you were changed?" I asked, curiously. Demetri glanced at me for a moment.

"Twenty six," he said, looking away. Not bad. Blake was twenty three. Since Demetri was changed in 1333...he was born in 1307. He was 721 years old. **(A/N: Yes, it's 2028 right now. Weird, eh? And no, there are no flying cars. Sorry. I can't see the future)**

"We are exactly seven hundred years apart," I laughed. **(A/N: This is _entirely _coincidental. I just did the math right now and figured it out!) **Demetri smiled.

"You did the math that fast?" Demetri asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Well it's not very fast compared to you," I smiled. "I've always loved math."

"That's good," he said, reminding me a bit of my father as he said so. It sparked a new question in my mind.

"You've never met my dad, have you?" I asked Demetri. Demetri paused.

"No," he said finally, "No, I haven't."

"Oh," I said.

"You miss your dad," Demetri noticed. I merely nodded, looking straight ahead of me. "Do you regret coming to Italy?" He asked, after a paused silence.

I hesitated before answering.

"No," I said finally. "Only partially. I'm glad I finally met Lawrence. I'm glad I'm not in the dark anymore."

"Would you have liked it if you grew knowing what you were, what you mother and grandfather were?" Demetri asked. I glanced at him, thrown off by the question. _Would _I have liked it? I didn't know...

"No," I said finally, "I supposed I wouldn't have wanted that. To know I was so different from every body else. Rehan would have hated it. He always disliked that everyone else had a mother and he didn't. If he knew he was more different, it would be worse," I said sadly. Rehan would have committed suicide much earlier, I though miserably. I missed Rehan with every inch of my being. We shared everything together. A husband and wife had more secrets from each other than Rehan and I. Or so I had thought. Neither would I have liked it. To grow up and know I was part monster.

I said good bye to Demetri as we had already reached my room. I went and skipped over to my bed, taking off the Versace jacket. And, in a few minutes, as Demetri had predicted, Lawrence knocked on the door.

"Come in," I said, sitting up and sliding off of bed, hastily stuffing the album filled with pictures of my mother on the bedside table. I thought it might hurt him if he saw it. Lawrence walked in, his smooth skin and perfect face hinting at an air of tiredness.

"How are you grand daughter?" Lawrence asked, sitting down on the arm chair Demetri had been sitting in this morning and motioning for me to sit across from him.

"Well...and you?" I asked, sitting down. Lawrence sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"You heard the screaming yesterday, didn't you?" I nodded. "Ah, I thought so. You weren't supposed to hear it."

"What was it?" I asked. I already guessed, though.

"Hunting...is forbidden in Volterra. Separate members of the Volturi bring in humans and they are killed here. I'm sorry, did it bother you? Do you want a different room?"

"No, no," I said, not wanting him to worry, "It didn't bother me much. It's alright. I could easily ignore it."

"Ah, good then," Lawrence reached over and picked up the copy of _Mansfield__Park_from the table. "How is Amelia?"

"Alright," I said, "I think she misses you terribly."

"Ah, she must bother you then. She always had a temper," Lawrence said, playing with the book, flipping the pages but not quite staring at them. "Your father?" I pursed my lips.

"He's alright," I said, not wanting to talk about him. He wasn't alright. It was a mistake for me to leave him this summer. I, the only one he had left.

"What did you do today?" Lawrence asked, settling on a page in the book, but looking up at me.

"Demetri came. Took me outside," I said. Lawrence's expression changed. "Does that bother you?"

"What did you do?" He asked.

"Nothing, really," I said, "I asked him silly questions about this castle. I probably bothered him much," I half-lied.

"You didn't see anyone else, did you?" Lawrence asked, looking down at the book.

"No," I said. Lawrence stood up.

"I came up here," he said, "To tell you that the Volturi have made their decision. But," he said as I stood up abruptly, "You may not _like _their decision, Victoria. But you will have to follow through with it anyway."

"What do you mean?" I asked worriedly. What _did _he mean? If I was ordered to be killed, I'd be killed?

"The Volturi's word is law," Lawrence said. "There is nothing we can do against them. But I assure you, they are very fair."

"What have they decided?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Lawrence said, walking over to the door and holding it open for me. I followed him worriedly. His words weren't comforting. Their word was law? The masters words were law. It seemed foolish. What had they decided? Why did Lawrence look upset? So many questions, and no answers. And unfortunately, that was how life was. Unfair. The Volturi wouldn't keep me from Dad, would they? Lawrence seemed to be taking me higher in the castle now, up a winding staircase in one of the turrets of the castles, perhaps. Lawrence stopped in front of a door, and it swung open, revealing an airy, sunlight, circular room.

"Ah, Victoria!" Aro said, opening his arms wide. His two brothers were sitting on either side of him on the floor, in the center. By the walls stood numerous guards. I spotted Afton and Chelsea with them, along with two somber looking vampires that could have been twins. They were rather smaller than everyone else, not fully grown humans when they were changed perhaps, a boy and a girl with brown hair and dark gray cloaks. Felix was there, his huge muscular body, relaxed and hunched over like he was bored. Next to him Demetri. Right when I came in, Marcus looked up at me for the first time, and then stared at Demetri.

The two twins on the side --the girl-- looked rather upset, her beatific face marred slightly by anger. Aro was glancing inconspicuously at Lawrence.

"It seems we need a few more minutes, dear friend," Aro said to Lawrence. I glanced around at the members of the Volturi. They were all tense. Chelsea in the corner was smiling at everyone, slowly using her gift to make us all uneasily relaxed.

"Alright then," Lawrence said, looking over at me.

"Felix," Marcus said, speaking in front of me for the first time. Felix stood up abruptly and nodded, glancing at me.

"Felix will take you somewhere," Lawrence said. Why not Demetri?

"Alright," I said. I trusted Felix, for some reason. Felix winked at me, and I followed him out of the room, down the tower. We strode through the lobby, where Gianna sat, filing papers. I hadn't seen Gianna since the day I came to Volterra. Felix winked at her and she opened the door for us, leading us out to the city.

* * *

_If we live our life in fear  
I'll wait a thousand years  
Just to see you smile again_

Quell your prayers for love and peace  
You'll wake the thought police  
We can hide the truth inside

(It could be wrong, could be wrong)  
But it should've been right  
(It could be wrong, could be wrong)  
Let our hearts ignite  
(It could be wrong, could be wrong)  
Are we digging a hole?  
(It could be wrong, could be wrong)  
This is outta control

* * *

_-Twenty-two years ago-_

_Friday, June 5th, __8:42pm_

"This is the servant's entrance. I can't take you any further," the priest said, his eyes pleading the blonde woman not to go inside the dimly lit castle. She turned around to face him and smiled.

"Thank you," she said, and ran into the castle, her feet patting against the stone floor as she tried not to think of the priest's face as she had left.

Two floors above her, Demetri stirred.

* * *

__

(It could be wrong, could be wrong)  
It could never last  
(It could be wrong, could be wrong)  
Must erase it fast  
(It could be wrong, could be wrong)  
But it could've been right  
(It could be wrong, could be...)

Love is our resistance!  
They keep us apart and won't stop breaking us down  
And hold me, our lips must always be sealed

**The Resistance** by **Muse**

* * *

I hope you like it! No more updates till after Jan 23rd, though :[ Next semester is going to be a killer, so I don't know how often I'll update....I have pre-written chapters that I'll use.


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